Through the Glass
by Sketch
Summary: Celena has been having disturbing visions in her sleep. Who is the Red eyed boy, and what does he have to do with her past? A continuation of the series centered around Celena, about 2 years after Hitomi goes back. *This Story Now Complete. Booya!!*
1. Prologue

Through the Glass 

I gaze into my mirror at night

My purple eyes look to see what they can see

But I'm not in there, not at all

A boy with magenta eyes glares back at me

  
  


That Girl!! Where did she come from??

Why does she haunt me so??

Why does she sit there staring

As if there's something about me she knows??

  
  


He's sad. I can see it in his eyes

They reflect loss and misery

What did they do to you, to make you this way?

And why, when I look at you... do I see me?

  
  


Such arrogance!! To look at me that way

No man would ever dare look as you do

I am above you, your superior, your master

No one can touch me, not even from you

  
  


What is this burning gaze that he gives?

Why can he not let go of the past?

Come, stranger, stay with me. I can help

Put out that burning fire at last

  
  


Sympathy! Hmph! I don't need a woman's love

I've seen the life you lead

Dressing as a lady, as your brothers wants you to

Playing as the doll, not fulfilling your inner need

  
  


What a life you must have spent!!

To live as you wished, in command...

But don't you see? Brother said to behave!!

It's not proper for a woman to behave as a man!!

  
  


I see it now, It's all become clear

You've been fettered inside, just like me

Our lives are so different, yet so alike

I can see it in you as you see it in me

  
  


No!! I am happy! I am free!!

Brother said he wouldn't let happen anything bad

Can't you see, your misery was your own doing?

Why do you still look at me so sad?

  
  


Why? Why did they do this to me? To us?

Look at us, we were meant to be

Not as one or the other, not as a puppet 

We were meant to run side by side. Free

  
  


To walk alone, feel the wind in my hair

What would it be like? What would I see?

But brother warned against these thoughts

I'm sorry, my friend. Please forgive me

  
  


I blink and you're gone

Now I'm all alone in my room

But I know that one day I'll look again

And one will see the other, the sun and the moon

Sleep, bright star in my mirror

Your gaze and your face I must grow to fear

Never to become what you were, what you are

Turning away, I wipe away a tear

  
  


Sigh.. Good night, faire moon

Yes, back to my slumber, I must go

But know this, my dear, listen closely

The sleeper will reawaken; once again his fire will glow

  
  


* A little poem I wrote between Dilandau and Celena. It's the intro to my next fic, "Through The Glass", which I hope to get written fairly soon. Comments? Anything would be appreciated! ~ SLS oh, and I don't own them.... darn*


	2. Visions of Red

**Through the Glass**

  
  


[SirLadySketch@home.com][1]

....Did I mention I live for email? ^_^

*insert mandatory disclaimer here* - The dislaimer you're about to read will apply for every chapter you read, I'm just too lazy to type it out 15 times, nk? So, okay peoples, you know the drill. Basically all the characters who are going to be used in this aren't mine but the maid Elllen is mine! ... I should have made a bishie guy instead.., they're some Japanese company's - SO YOU CAN'T SUE ME!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!! ... Neways, I've gotten the first ch written , and the last two I know, how "helpful" is that? I'm gonna be writing the inside stuff while I'm away, so be ready for a few completed chapters maybe even "gasp" two!! I don't know if you've read my other fanfiction, but if you want to see how long my chs are, go look at The Otherworlder, then you'll understand why they take soooooooo looong.

But, that's beside the point. Read and review, people, let me know what you think should I write the stuff in-between, or just post the last two chps and say Dilly burned the rest of it?? Enjoy!!*

  
  


Chapter One

  
  


Fire. Heat. Death. Every time I have this dream it's the same. I'm sitting in a stuffy contraption, an odd gooey substance around my body. It's as if I've been put into some sort of cage, but I don't feel threatened- more... protected, in a sense. My body moves without directions, I have no control over what it does. It seems to make some sense of what it's doing, gliding over the small dials and buttons. I almost feel excited- I don't know why, but the idea of having this behemoth at my control gives me a feeling of power, and a thirst for more.

Brother would not be happy if he knew.

But he's not here, he never seems to make it into my dreams. I'm not alone though- I'm surrounded by men in odd outfits, they look as if they're knights, but they're unlike any of Brother's friends. They're always close to me, ready to lose their lives so that mine can continue. I think they love me, for some reason, or at least feel loyal. What did I do to gain their trust? Do they _want_ me to play God, to snuff out their lives like candles? The thought is almost funny. *giggle* Brother would _not_ like that, not at all!

These men, these _slayers,_ as I've heard them call themselves, are always here to welcome me as a greet the darkness of sleep. But here, in my dreams, there is no darkness, only the Fire.

I've learned to embrace the Fire- it gives me warmth, protects me through the long, dark nights when I would be all alone without it. The Fire, and my slayers. They're my other family, here where Allen can't penetrate. I almost laugh; I doubt Brother has dreams like this- he's never felt power like this- none have ever _feared_ him. That's why they're here. They're afraid of me. They're afraid, but they love me. They're very odd, but I like them for that.

My attention is caught by a flickering flame outside of my giant shell, and I look up expectantly. _What is it, Fire?_ A kingdom lies smouldering. A city, once faire, now in ruins, its dying embers dancing in arcane manner about our blood-stained titans . _But I had so much fun...._ The smoke must be getting to my mind- why would I _want_ to destroy a place like this? They have done me no harm. 

_But it's so fun, to convert the peaceful little town to my fiery religion of death..._

What am I thinking?? I don't feel well... I try to call out, out to one of my slayers, my night angels. They'll be able to help me.

"Chesta! Migel!!! Dalet!"

_ That's not my voice... How did I know their names?_

"Dilandau-sama?"

_ Dilandau.... sama? Why does that name sound familiar? _ But it doesn't trouble me, I feel no panic as I go masquerading as a young man. I wonder, does Brother ever have dreams that he's a woman? I'll have to ask him later..

"Pull out. The Dragon has escaped us. And get those wrecks out of here! As soon as we're back in the Vione, report to the throne room!!" _The voice... Sounds so familiar... It almost feels natural, rolling off my tongue..._

_ "_Yessir!!" The other odd shaped guymelefs close up, flying up towards the floating rock-fortress. I/the boy growls. "Damn you Van......." I did NOT just say that word!! Brother would never approve!! Our unit closes up, a sudden lurch downwards then we're climbing through the billows of smoke. We look back once more, laughing, at the terror and chaos we've created. No, not we. He.

I'm thrown out of the unit, tossed roughly to the earth. I'm surrounded by darkness. "Brother.... Where are you? Slayers? Fire? I don't want to be alone... Don't leave me alone....!!" I can feel tears forming, and they fall to the ground below. Off in the shadows, another voice echos my cry. Another voice, or just mine returning to me in this desolate wasteland of shadows? No. Another voice.

"Don't leave me alone...." The Fire returns to me- dim, weak. The boy- the one I'd been, lies crying on the ground of this barren place. I almost feel ashamed to watch him- he's so brave out there on the battle field, I feel guilty watching him while he is weak. I don't want to be alone either..... I go over to him, and I shake his shoulder gently. 

"We're not alone... Not if we're together.... Right?" He looks up, his face tear-stained as mine had been. For a moment, I'm startled. He looks like me! But I could never be as brave or as wicked as him....

"I'm trapped.... I'm trapped and I'm all alone.... Chesta. Gatti. Migel. Viole. Dalet. Guimel. Ryuuon. Biore. Refina. Shoji. Maveric. Aerin. Eric. Terra. Talin*.. Folken... Jajuka! JAJUKA!!!!" His frenzied cries scare me, and I retreat a few steps. He falls sobbing to the ground again. "Alone.... all alone...." His face registers one of pure fear and pure hate- I didn't know it was possible for him to fear anything. He stands up his voice shaking with rage. "VAN!!! I'LL KILL YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID TO MY FACE!!!! For... what.. you did to my men... for what you did to me.... All alone.... trapped..." He cries out again, and I with him. The floor moves to engulf him, to swallow him whole. I watch helpless as he shouts again, his words lost to my frightened mind. I must get away. It's all too terrible. But I can't leave him. I run over to the lump where he's entombed, his muffled screams no longer heard. I kick and hit and scratch, but nothing helps. With its metallic glint, it seems like the substance from the claw of one of the slayer's guymelefs, but it turns liquid as I touch it. I watch, horrified, as it creeps up my arm, encasing me like it did the poor boy. It snuffed out my Fire. Now it's going to try to get me.

"Brother!! Help me!"! It's almost to my waist now, I cannot move. " Slayers!! Help!!" It's up to my neck, almost over my nose- it will suffocate me if I am not saved. 

  
  


"JAJUKA!!!!!!"

  
  
  
  
  
  


Celena Schezar sat bolt upright in bed, close to sobbing. She was a prisoner of the heavy blankets of the bed- they were entwined about her like a spider's web around a fly. She cried out again, freeing herself from the sheets that had held her prisoner. 

The room around her was silent, soft moonlight coming through the window panes and playing on the floor as it danced with the tree branches. Her candle had burned out. She wiped her eyes and nose, trying to relax as she located the matches for her little candle. Though the maids didn't like it, she always had it lit- it helped her sleep. And Brother, not wanting to make her upset, indulged her simple request of a constant supply of the thick wax columns. She watched the wavering flame, already beginning to feel better. Brother would be in soon, he always came when she cried out during the night.

True to his routine, Allen burst through the door some moments later, hair disheveled and shirt hanging halfway out of his pants. The sight of him like this was amusing to her- her stately Brother who always had to look his best during the day would not even stop to glance at the mirror to freshen up when she called. Sometimes, this was not in the best interest for him to be seen even by his sister as he was- disheveled and tussled. She'd gently remind him tomorrow by joking with him about it- that always seemed to make him relaxed and happy. His devotion to her was a blind love- much like her slayers while she slept. But she was awake, and Brother would make everything better.

"Celena, are you alright? I heard you cry out. Did you have another dream?" She nodded, and hugged her older brother closer. He held onto her tightly, not wanting to let her go as if he was afraid that she'd be snatched from right under his nose. She pulled away, smile coming back as the dream's effects wore off. 

"I'm fine, Brother. I just had a little dream and it upset me, that's all." He eyed her with concern, his handsome brows deepening with anxiety. 

"Is it the same one as before? Do you remember it? Do you want to tell me about it, so you can sleep better?" She shook her head- she never told him her dreams, if she couldn't make sense of them, how could he when he couldn't understand what she was thinking?

"No, Brother, I am fine now. A little tired, perhaps. I'm sorry to have bothered you, Allen, you can go back to your room." Whenever she wanted to feel like she was in perfect control, she called him 'Allen'. It made her feel more grown-up when she did so. He seemed to relax, and he kissed her on the forehead before tucking her back in bed. _Like a child...._

"If you need me, Celena, I'm-"

"Just down the hall, so call-"

"If you need anything. Good night, Celena."

"Good night, Allen." He closed the door as she rolled onto her side, staring at the flame. She listened to his soft, heavy footsteps as he walked back to his room, and waited until no sound could be heard from his room. _Oh Brother... You always were a heavy sleeper..._

She pushed back the covers and stood up, walking over to the window. She bit her lip, eyes watering as she looked over the gardens below. _He treats me like I'm a child.... _She laughed at this, keeping her voice soft. 

"I'm a grown woman, Allen. Why can't you see that? I don't want to make you upset, but I'm tired of being caged like a fragile bird.." _Trapped....._ She shook her head, thoughts whirling about. "I AM going to be free one day, Brother. Please... understand I need to be free...." She sighed and walked over to her vanity mirror, gazing forlornly into the glass. 

_ He only treats you that way because you let him. _

"I know.... If only I hadn't been ill!!" She vaguely remembered waking up to see Allen, standing by her side, a smile on his face. She'd never forget his smile when she called out to him by name. He'd told her later on that she'd been terribly sick for some time, and that he'd had many doctors come and treat her. And he was so glad that she was feeling better, and they'd never be separated again. It didn't matter if she couldn't remember much of her past, she was going to make a much happier future, and he'd always be there by her side.

_ "_What bullshit." She'd learned that word and many others a lady shouldn't use from the boy in her dreams. Occasionally, she'd scold him in their dreamworld for using such words, but on this matter, she had to agree that there was no other word to describe the story. Brother was trying to help her by making her forget something, but it wasn't fair! She had a _right_ to know what had happened, even if she was afraid to learn of what it was. It had something to do with the boy though.. The first time she'd had a dream and mentioned the boy to Brother, he told her that she had nothing to fear, the boy was dead. But she could feel that wasn't true. He was... _sleeping......_

  
  


"What the Hell???" She looked up, apparently she'd dozed off at her vanity. Her gaze caught movement in her glass, and she shot bolt upright when she realized it hadn't been her moving. The speaker was a tall, silvery haired boy in a purple tank top and black pants- he was definitely not a reflection of her room. _It's him...._ He was busy yelling at one of the slayers, a shorter boy with hair that reminded her of sheep. The one who'd spoken smacked "sheep-boy" hard, sending him tumbling to the floor. "I asked for RED wine, not White, you idiot! Guimel, you've just earned yourself another month's worth of latrine patrol. Now get out of my sight, or you'll be doing double duty for the rest of the year!!" Guimel bowed, cowering on the ground.

"Forgive me, Dilandau-sama. I'll bring you what you wanted in a moment.." 'Dilandau-sama' "hmphed" and grabbed the wine that had been served. 

"Never mind. Just get out, incompetent." The door slid open, and Guimel rushed out, leaving Dilandau to mutter about worthless morons under his control. He plopped down in front of his mirror, apparently oblivious to her, pouring the liquid into a large goblet and downing it with surprising celerity. He muttered something again, and poured another glass. She mustered up her courage to speak to the boy who invaded her dreams and now her mirror.

"You know, you really shouldn't talk to them like that. One day, when they're gone, you'll be all alone, and you'll miss them." Violent red/magenta eyes glared up at her. He stared a moment, then began to laugh, taking another sip from the wine that had been so hated only a moment ago. 

"It figures they'd give me crap like this... now I'm seeing girls in my room. What'll happen next? I'll sprout wings and throw away my flamethrowers..." He mumbled this softly, the drink seeming to add to his amusement. She gathered that this was not the first glass he'd had this evening. He swore softly under his breath, and then he looked up again after refilling his glass. "So, you're the one who keeps waking me up at night with those dreams... What the hell do you want?" She felt taken aback by this- not one had _ever_ spoken to her like that! It made her lip tremble again, but she cleared her throat, determined not to be intimidated by the drunken captain. 

"Why are you in my mirror?" He looked at her, honestly surprised.

"Eh? Me, in your mirror? I think you have it the wrong way, Miss, Miss...."

"Celena Schezar."

"Miss Schezar. You're in _my_ mirror, and I don't appreciate it. Get out, before I smash that pretty little face of yours. I want to look at _my_ pretty face." She sniffed, irritated.

"You're very rude, for someone who keeps entering my thoughts and dreams without my permission." He chuckled at this. 

"So, we both dream of each other, hm? That's rich. Mental note- if I ever feel depressed again, drink a bottle of this and then stare at my reflection and it'll talk back. Listen, girl, I don't know who you think you are, but you shouldn't be here. Don't you know who I am?"

"Dilandau- I think that's what Sheep-boy called you."

"Sheep-bo, oh, you mean Guimel... He _does_ look like a sheep, doesn't he..? Yes, I am Dilandau Albatou, Captain of the Dragon Slayers." If he was expecting a response, he didn't get one. She merely blinked. He sniffed. "You haven't heard of me?? The very name of Dilandau strikes fear in thousands, and you don't even know who I am..."

"I know who you are. I'm not afraid of you. You're just like me- we're both trapped, unable to free ourselves from the bonds placed upon us." He turned pale at this, and the reddened glow that had appeared on his cheeks was barely visible. His voice was low and quiet.

"I am trapped by no one. I am untouchable." She shook her head.

"If we share the same dream, we're both swallowed up by-"

"I'M INVINCIBLE, DAMMIT!! No one can hurt me! Nothing can hurt me!! I'm happier when I'm alone... I don't want to be attached to anyone, or anything. I'm alone."

"But Dilandau-"

"I 'm _alone!_ And that's how I want to be... Alone...." _Don't leave me alone... "_Alone.... Don't.. Leave me alone!"

"Dilandau, who are you talking to?" The silver haired captain turned and faced the blue haired sorcerer who had come in without a sound. Celena drew in her breath. _ He's handsome.... I know him from somewhere...._ The boy pointed at her, sipping his wine he was on his fifth glass already.

"It's you, Folken... Oh, I was just chatting with the girl in my mirror, Celena." Folken nodded, and walked over, prying Dilandau's fingers from the glass. 

"I think you've had enough for one day, Dilandau. The two Alseides that had been damaged in the Fane- city's razing have been fixed, so you can stop moping. Get some sleep, and don't drink anymore of this. You'll have a bad enough hangover as it is." The sorcerer left, leaving a disgruntled and _very_ drunk Dilandau slumped in his chair. 

"I'm not moping.... You! Go away, I'm tired." He got up, turning his back to her, and the image flickered, then was gone as he drew the shades to his bed, candle still flickering beside it. She sighed, noticing her own bed, and felt her eyes grow heavy with want of sleep. She stumbled over to her own bed, yawning, and fell asleep with the thought to ask Brother about what he knew about a certain 'Dilandau Albatou', and a 'Folken'. 

_*Well? Interest peaked yet? Or should I go hide in a hole somewhere, and go back to writing poetry? If it doesn't make sense, tell me what to do and I'll fix it. Be forewarned, however- I've written all but about four chapters now, and it's gonna get _WEIRD._ If you don't understand it now, you may either want to read through it all, then write to me and ask what the heck's going on, or you might want to skip it all together. I started writing the other chapters, then got back home, looked at my outline and found I'd strayed from it about the time after the last line of the poem.. Oops. Just tell me what you people think tho, nk? And as a side note- the names of the slayers are one's I've heard, and one's I've made up. Shoji belongs to Sakura-chan, Biore, Ryuuon, and Refina are some of the less well know slayers, and the rest are mine. They won't get much of the spotlight in this story, but they will in another story I'm writing, Dark Feather. They'll have the same names but it'll be kinda a AU fic, with no connection to this one, whatsoever. Anyways, please be kind, and rewind- er, review. Arigatoo! Oh, and MOREOOO!!! ^_^*_

  
  


   [1]: mailto:SirLadySketch@home.com



	3. Visions of the Present

Chapter 2

  
  


Celena sighed, twirling her fork in her food. Brother hadn't told her about Dilandau Albatou or Folken, in fact, he'd changed topics rather quickly, commenting on her garden. "Celena, the irises look lovely. They go so well with your eyes, you really are a wonderful gardener. Who would've thought, my little sister has a natural green thumb." She smiled at him, shaking her head. It was all she could do- he could be so over-protective at times...

"Brother, those are lilies, not irises. The irises are the tall ones over there, see? Next to the cherry tree and daisies." Allen looked over, a smile across his face as he glimpsed over her little garden by the breakfast room. He'd given it to her two years ago, after she'd recovered from her illness. She'd studied books and talked with the head gardener, Bowen, who helped her develop the natural ability she had with flowers. Bowen built her a little path through it, as well as a small pool where brightly colored fish would swim in the afternoon sunlight, their scales glinting like gems in the sun. _The color of flames.... _Brother had brought her a small blue and purple bird from one of his trips to the southern posts of Astoria- he'd said it reminded him of her when he saw it. They put it in a golden cage to hang from the window sill so that it could chirp while they ate but still enjoy the warm fragrances carried on the breeze from the garden. It also kept the little thing away from the clutches of the many cats that roamed the estate, not to mention Allen's owl Archimedes. Brother had gotten her a kitten while she had been sick, saying she had a way with animals. Pandora, the little kitten, kept her company while Brother was away, as did the little bird. Though the two pets never got along well, she kept them apart, and eventually she made them get used to each other. Pandora was roaming the gardens at that moment, drifting from one plant to another like a dappled grey ghost. _Like the shadow of a memory long forgotten..._ She brought her gaze up quickly as she realized Allen had been saying something to her.

"I was thinking that instead of going there, which I know you don't like, we could go to Fanelia. We've been invited by Van to go stay in the castle while they celebrate his two year coronation ceremony as well as the completion of the rebuilding of Fanelia. King Aston suggested I go and represent Astoria for him, as both he and Princess Aries will be busy at that time. He thought I ought to take you as well, I know how much you enjoyed going to see them last time." They had gone with a merchant party to discuss trading policies almost a year ago, and had spent a week in the capitol city. They had met Van and Merle, who had given them a tour of the city and shown them all the building projects and new additions. Van had been rather quiet around her, but Merle had been very forthcoming and kind. She had befriended Celena, which had made it easier for both Celena and Van when Allen had to discuss business and couldn't be with her. Celena couldn't put her finger on it, but whenever she'd caught Van's eye, he had seemed almost apprehensive. Twice his hand had gone to his scabbard before he realized she wasn't about to jump at him, and this seemed rather peculiar to her. But, Celena had written it off as an oddity of then king- royalty and such were allowed them, for who was to say they couldn't? After all, King Aston disliked the color purple, so there were very few things in Astoria's castle that had any shade of it about. Maybe King Van didn't like strangers wandering the castle unattended. Or maybe he hadn't liked the color purple either. Whatever it was, he was always courteous, but cautious. She found this funny, but she didn't mind. She'd written to Merle several times after that, and was always curious whenever Brother had news of the two. His latest news made her sit up, coming out of the daze her Brother's talking had put her in. She smiled prettily, actually excited and enthusiastic.

"Oh, may I go , Brother? We haven't seen Merle or Lord Van since last purple!! We really need to see them more than once a year, you know! Have you told them we'd go? When do we leave? Howl long will we stay this time? It will be good to see them again! Will Queen Millerna and King Dryden be there as well? And the crusaders? And what about... um, what was her name again, Brother? Hilary?" A shadow crossed over his face, and Celena realized almost immediately that she'd made a tactical error. However, Allen quickly recovered his smile, though it was a bit more distant. 

"Hitomi. Her name was Hitomi. And no, she won't be joining us." He added this softly, gazing out over the flower's tops to the fields beyond. Celena looked at his dreamy but sad expression, then thought of something to make him snap out of it. 

"When do we go shopping?"

"S-shopping?" Allen's bright blue eyes turned to stare at her softer blue. She smiled inwardly to herself, she'd rattled him quite a bit. She giggled and patted his hand.

"Of course! You can't expect to go to the festivities in that, now can you?"

"Celena, I'm supposed to represent my country-"

"Oh, pish posh, Brother!! I'm sure King Aston wouldn't want you to wear the same thing the whole time you're there. Your uniform will get smelly. You can't wear it all the time, you need some variety in your life. Now, when are we going?" He gawked for a few moments, then laughed, squeezing her hand gently. 

"Alright, you win Little Bird. You can go shopping with Ellen tomorrow." She looked at him and pouted, something she was always able to use to melt him to her cause. If the knight of heaven had a weakness, it was soft, teary eyes, and a look that could make even the most hard hearted melt. Both Celena and Millerna had found Allen could be turned to see their way if they used the expression. And, like it had every other time she'd pulled it off, it worked.

"But... Brother... you won't be coming with me?" He sighed, shaking his head. 

"I can't, Celena. I have to leave tonight for the western post. I need to make sure everything is in order before we go, but I'll be back in a few days." She put her look into effect.

"Can't you come back earlier?" He almost winced- he couldn't resist the well played look, and he knew it.

"Well.. Maybe I could return a few days earlier..."

"Tomorrow." A pout and a trembling lip made Allen break.

"I'll be back tomorrow evening. But in the meantime, Gaddes will be with you, in case you need anything. Go with Ellen and Gaddes tomorrow, Ellen will know what you'll need and Gaddes needs to resupply the Crusade anyway. Before you ask again, no, they won't be coming with us- they have to take Millerna and Dryden to Chid's birthday celebration. He'll be turning ten.." Allen got the misty-eyed look again, and Celena sighed. Allen had told the young prince when he'd turned nine about his patronage, but Chid had merely stated that the duke had been his fatherly figure, so while he appreciated hearing the truth from Allen, he hoped that Allen would understand how he could not acknowledge the fact publicly, for fear of what it might do to his position. However, when the two had met earlier in the spring, Chid had spent time alone with Allen, and when the two had come out, the boy had given Celena a big hug and called her 'Aunt Celena'. Then, after a few awkward moments of silence, he had embraced Allen before leaving to visit his Aunt Millerna and Uncle Dryden. Allen was upset that he could never show outward affection for his own son, but was glad they were able to communicate back and forth. Allen had sent his young son gifts whenever there was a holiday, and when Celena didn't approve of them he allowed her to buy them. So, ever so gently, she touched his arm.

"Do you want me to get him something?" Allen looked at her, then smiled, relaxing a bit. 

"If you don't mind.." She giggled and patted his arm again. 

"Of course not! He's my nephew after all, and I'm afraid I know what he'd want better than you- I supposes it's because I shop more, and also because I used to go with Mother to shop for you. I'll leave it in your room tomorrow, so you can see it when you get back. Now, let's get you packed so you can leave and be back sooner."

  
  


After about half an hour, Allen had been packed, sent off, and Celena was in her garden with Pandora. She tended the small shoots, trying to keep her mind focused on the task at hand. However, her mind traveled, and continued to fall back upon the dreams she'd had. None had ever been so clear as last night, but she was sure they'd been connected somehow. She glanced up when Gaddes interrupted her thoughts to tell her she'd been working for over six hours and lunch was ready. A tiny plan popped into her mind, and she smiled prettily, preparing the set of her next performance. She _would_ get her answers, whether she got them from Brother or not. After washing up, she sat across from her brother's second in command, who tried rather awkwardly to strike up a conversation. He was in the middle of saying something about 'the Boss always talks about you' when she interrupted, throwing him off guard.

"Gaddes, what can you tell me about Dilandau Albatou?" The man promptly choked on the carrot he was eating, and coughed for several minutes. After getting control of himself, he blinked watery-eyed at her. 

"I'm sorry, Miss Celena. Must've heard you wrong. What did you say again?" She sat up straight, trying to be as sure of herself as possible. Was this what the boy had meant when he said people feared his name? She didn't know, but wondered what he'd done to create the terror that was associated with it.

"I said, what can you tell me of Dilandau Albatou?" The man paled, and cleared his throat uncertainly.

"Well... there's not much to say about him... He was a soldier of Zaibach.... killed in the war by Van." She leaned forward, eager to hear him continue. However, he tried to distract her. "Now tell me, Miss Celena, what were those pretty blue flowers you were working with? Sunflowers?" She shook her head, determined not to have her answers left unspoken.

"Why did Van kill Dilandau? What did he do?" Gaddes blanched, but continued.

"Well... he destroyed Fanelia for one. He was crazy. He tried to kill your brother and Van several times..."

"Why did he try to hurt them?"

"Well.. It was war, and they were on opposing sides. I guess that's why. I dunno, the guy didn't like the boss from the start." She sat back, eyeing him levelly. 

"Why did my Brother refuse to tell me this?" He started, beginning to swat and fidget uncomfortably.

  
  


"Well.. Maybe he thought politics wasn't a topic a lady such as yourself should concern herself in. Now, what were you doing earlier? Planting roses?" She sighed, sitting back and sipping her tea. That was as much as she'd get from him, but it was better than Brother's silence. She started up a conversation that the man had no interest in, but he was obviously desperately seeking a new topic. All the while, however, her mind was whirring. 

_So.. You worked for Zaibach, did you? I wonder, does that mean that Folken worked for it as well? That you were both my enemies? Why are you in my mind then, and not Brother? What secrets do you hold, Dilandau?_ _I'll have to ask you tonight, if you're there..._

  
  


"Zaibach? Why do you want to know about it?" She was pleased to find him there in her mirror again. Though it was odd to be talking to what had to be either a ghost or a glimpse of the past, she was nevertheless happy to find him there that evening. This time, however, he had a bandage over his right cheek, slightly bloodied. He seemed distraught over it, so she'd hoped to lighten the mood by taking his mind off of it by asking questions.

"Well, I found out today that you worked for Zaibach, and I wanted to know more about it. What's it like? Is it big? What do you do there?" He smirked at the innocence of her curiosity, and downed more of the wine he had in his goblet. She'd noticed it was the same stuff from the previous night, and when asking why he was drinking it when yesterday he'd denounced it and hit sheep-boy _for it,_ he replied that 'that had been over a week ago, what the hell was she talking about'? He refilled his cup, sipping more before answering.

"The country of Zaibach is the most advanced on all of Gaia. It is very large indeed, almost a quarter of the main continent. The capitol is the heart of operations; that's where the emperor resides, and all of the technology of the country is created and produced. We are much more advanced than any other country on the whole planet." He said this with an air of importance, which made Celena smile a bit to herself. He was really proud of his country, even though some of their rules seemed a bit strict. He continued, more pride in his tone than before. "Ever since I was promoted to this position, I've been on the Vione, training my slayers." She smiled and asked lightly, 

"You're proud of them, aren't you? They really love and respect you, do you know that?" He laughed, pouring his fourth glass.

"Of course they do! I made them what they are today- I pulled them from their pathetic lives as peasants and weak nobles and trained them to be_ strong. _They're my slayers- they know they must obey or bear the consequences." She peered at him curiously. 

"Were you of noble blood before you were a soldier?" His expression darkened somewhat, and his hand went to his cheek, stroking it gently. The bandage bloodied further still as his caress got harder as he got angrier.

"No.. I was an orphaned street rat, caught for stealing and sentenced to lose my life. The sorcerers took me instead, and they said they'd make me a warrior for Zaibach. When I was five, they ran some tests on me along with some of the other children there. People started to disappear.. And those who came back were different. The last test I went through, I was with a girl. When I woke up, she was gone, and I became the Enhanced Fate Soldier. ... It's odd, but when I think back on it, the girl looked much like you- same eyes and hair color. She cried almost the whole time I was awake, crying for her mother and brother and some beast-man. She was weak and pathetic, like you." She frowned, but didn't interrupt. He seemed more open to talking, maybe this was because he was drunk, or maybe he just needed to talk. Whatever the reason, he took another sip, finishing off the bottle. Then, he grinned viciously. "Those fools wanted an advanced soldier, and that's what they got. I grew stronger, taller, quicker, smarter. I quickly rose to the top of my class, then I was promoted to Captain of the Dragonslayers. I chose fellow classmates who I knew had potential, even though Migel, Gatti and Dalet can be asses sometimes, and Chesta and Guimel are weak but intelligent. I took them away, and we became the elite force of Zaibach- no, of the planet! All who see us tremble at our coming!" He added this with a fervor she didn't think possible in his state, and secretly wondered if he was like this when he was sober. Then, she decided to interrupt his ego trip and ask another question.

"What about my Brother and King Van? You've fought them, and they defeated your men twice!" Upon hearing the young king's name, Dilandau's hand went up to his face again, and his lips turned into a feral sneer. He stroked it again, pressing even harder than last time. 

"Chiku.... Van....He scarred my beautiful face.. Damn you Van! I HATE YOU!!" He shoot up and threw the now-empty bottle across the room, making it shatter into millions of tiny pieces. He glared fiercely at the tiny shards, then turned his rage to her when she spoke.

"Dilandau, are you alright? I'm sorry if I-"

"Get out of here." The order was spoken low, fury giving it a nasty edge. She tired again however.

"But-"

"I SAID GET OUT! LEAVE ME ALONE!!" He grabbed the top of his mirror, sending it crashing to the ground. The image flickered, then went out, leaving Celena alone again. She sighed, looking at the now-blank mirror, shaking her head sadly. What had she done that was so terrible? Why did Dilandau hate Van? Was he the one who gave him that wound? She sat watching her candle's flame for a bit longer, seeking the answers to her questions. All the flame could do was provide her a bit of company until she fell asleep. He was there, nursing yet another bottle of spirits, slumped moodily in a chair. She pouted irritably.

  
  


"Will I ever see you when you're _not_ drunk?" He didn't look up; he just continued to roll the liquid in his cup. She walked over to him, keeping her distance. "I'm sorry I made you mad, Dilandau. Do you hate me?" He laughed half-heartedly, downing another cup in a gulp. 

"Begging for forgiveness..? I'm not mad at you anymore." She steeped up, more confused than before.

"Than why are you so miserable? You don't seem well. Did something happen?" He stiffened noticeably, but replied after a few moments.

"Migel.. He's gone. My first in command, captured- he was incompetent. The doppleganger- DAMN FOLKEN FOR BRINGING HIM INTO THIS!_-Zonghi._. He killed Migel. My slayers are upset, and I don't blame them this time. We were invincible. But he died. I don't understand. We were invincible, but he's gone..." He sat there looking dejected before Celena went over to him. He sat rigid as he felt her contact, and stiffened even more as she hugged him tighter. When she released him, he turned violent red eyes upon her. "Why the hell did you do that?" She smiled sadly. 

"You're so upset.. I know it makes me feel better when I get hugged, and you were almost begging for one." She tried holding his hand, but he snatched it away.

"Never touch me again." She tried to protest, attempting to hold it again, but he stood up quickly, knocking the chair over. "I SAID DON"T TOUCH ME!!'He tossed her aside as he tried to go away, but was stopped as golden bars appeared around him.. He attempted to break them by ramming them, but all efforts were futile. "Wha-? NO!! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME A PRISONER!! **NO!!**" The bars began to shrink, and he shouted louder still, in fear of being crushed to death. A sickening crunch sound was heard, and Celena sat bolt upright on the floor, looking dazedly at the mess of the broken flower vase she was sitting in. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, and Celena Schezar sat upon her bedroom floor; soaked, and terrified.


	4. Visions of the Damned

*Hey everyone!! AN is down at the bottom, just to clarify- **_this_** is Dilly think/speaking, and _this_ is Celena, k? Enjoy!!*

Chapter 3

  
  


_Green, 7 moon. We're in Fanelia now; we have been for a week. Brother's so busy, he rarely has time to see me, even to share a meal. I wonder what he does while he's gone? I don't mind his absence though. He gave me some spending money to go down to the city's market. Such bright colors, and such a variety of goods and peoples!! I saw my first wolf-man today, he was selling beautiful woven rugs and lovely carved things like chairs, toys, and other useful items. The city is filled with things and people like that, there are so many interesting places, it's hard to believe that it was all ashes a few years ago. I haven't seen Lord Van yet, but Merle came to my room almost immediately. Her normal way of course- through the window. She was the one who took me around the city on the first day while the men were busy planning and arranging things. She's just as lively and talkative as ever. In one hour, I'd had a complete report of all that had happened during the months we were away, as well as a tour of all the nooks and crannies of the rebuilt kingdom. After a thoroughly exhausting afternoon, we retired to my room, where I introduced Merle to my little bird. Pandora couldn't come on this expedition- Brother said she was better left at home. Archimedes came along though- the owl seems attached to Brother's shoulder. In fact, had I not seen the owl move and eat and fly about sometimes at home, you'd think it was just a stuffed thing Brother kept as an ornament. How funny that would be! I went out again this afternoon, and when I came back Brother was in a tizzy; running about from place to place and seeming very frenzied. He was so distressed, he didn't realize that his hair was sticking out in all different directions. I smoothed it out for him though; after he saw me, he just kept saying, 'I was worried Little Bird! What if you got lost or hurt?' Honestly! As if I'm an incompetent, like I couldn't be trusted by myself. Little Bird... I suppose that's what I am to him, his little pet. Sometimes, even here where I can walk about unescorted, I feel as though I'm trapped in a gilded cage..._

_ And I've been having those dreams again. Every night now, not occasionally anymore. Dilandau and I talk, as though we've known each other for years. Although I can hardly say I'd want to meet him in the flesh- he's rather moody and bad tempered, even after he's had several glasses to mute his harsh comments. He's been so dejected as of late- a far cry from the proud and cocky captain I'd first encountered so many moons ago in purple. He's lost everything. His slayers are gone, his ship has been crashed-even Stratgoes is missing. All he has now is a Dog-man, a gentle beast, frightful to look upon, but soft spoken and very different from the Captain he serves. I think I'd rather like him if I were to meet him in person... But Dilandau was so upset I decided it would be better if I didn't tell him I was in Fanelia- I've no idea how he'd take such news, and I'm afraid of even the thought. Instead, I told him about some of the books I've been reading, and asked him some more about Zaibach, and eventually- after four more bottles- he began to feel better, and seemed in a better, if more incomprehensible, mood. I presently came to the topic where I mentioned the fact that he no longer existed in the place where I was, and that technically it meant I was talking to a ghost that appeared in my mirror every so often, and more often in my dreams. That seemed to make him laugh, and he made fun of me, saying, 'You're a quick one, aren't you?' He knew the whole time, that mean thing! He told me he wasn't dead, just sleeping, as of sorts, waiting for his time to re-emerge. 'In the meantime, however, you're lucky enough to have me as company as you dream away while I'm trapped in my prison.' When asked if there was any particular reason why he chose **my** mind as his prison, he simply laughed at me again, and said to speak with Allen or Lord Van. I wonder what he meant, or why Lord Van would know...?- The maid has just called me, I'm having lunch with Brother, Lord Van, and Merle today. I wonder if they'll have the answers I seek...? Celena S._

  
  


"... And everything is in place. We're going to have a feast tonight, then the festivities begin tomorrow morning. People have come from all over, and I don't think they'll be disappointed. They deserve something like this after all that's happened." The young king took a sip from his glass as his guests sat across from him, smiling cordially. Merle began talking about one of the events she'd helped set up, and some of the games that the children would enjoy. Van and Allen spoke every so often, each promising they'd try to take time to visit the goldfish game. The cat-girl turned to ask her friend if she'd try to capture a fish as well, but then saw that the blonde was looking at the sky with a far away look on her face. 

"Celena? Are you ok?" The men stopped talking and turned to Celena, who also snapped out of her thoughts to gaze at the others. Her eyes met Van's fr a moment, then she lowered them shyly.

"I'm sorry I haven't said much... I was just thinking, that's all." Allen smiled affectionately.

"You always are, Little Bird. What were you thinking about this time?" She looked him in the eye, almost defiantly, a sudden change going over her. 

"I was wondering, _Allen_, why you didn't tell me about Dilandau. And why you, Lord Van, massacred Dilandau's men!!"The three stared at her in shock, but her timidity was gone, and she wanted to know _now_. Allen cleared his throat, answering nervously.

"Celena, I don't know what you're talking about-" Celena turned her glare to Van.

"He said you knew too. I don't appreciate it when something important is kept from me, Allen. Especially when they involve me, and include someone as bizzare as _him._ " Allen sat gaping at his little sister in his chair, unable to reply. Van was quicker to recover though, and said gently, 

"You said he told you, Celena? How?" She flushed and looked into the glass of juice she'd been given, all ferocity gone. Quietly she described her many dreams, and her many interactions and talks with Dilandau. Including parts where she'd seen him in the mirror, but never knew how he'd gotten there. By the time she was done, Allen was marble white, Van was staring, and Merle bit her lip, looking upset and glancing from Van to Celena and back. After several moments of silence, Allen shook himself into speaking.

"Forgive me, Celena, I never wanted this to happen to you. I thought that if I didn't tell you you'd be able to forget and live happily.... But I was wrong. I'm sorry. I'll tell you all I know, though I must admit I don't know all that happened. I supposed this had to come out sooner or later..." With that, he launched into a story of what he'd been able to figure out with the aid of Folken, some of the sorcerers who'd been pardoned, and the cries she'd made while she was recovering form reverting the last time. While he spoke, Celena's hand traveled up her face twice, stroking a scar no longer there, but still existing somewhere deep in her mind. Memories better forgotten sprung up in her mind, making her wince several times, remembering shared pain with her other half. Who was now sending her a message, what, she didn't know, but it frightened her. Allen stopped once, offering her support as one particularly painful memory returned to her, but she waved him away to let him continue. Dilandau had been strong, so she could too. When he was done, she smiled softly, and spoke very gently, voice with a bit of a waver in it.

"Thank you, Allen. Everything makes much more sense now. But if you'll excuse me, I need to be alone for a bit." She stood up, did a quick curtsey, then rushed out of the room, the only sound to be heard were the gentle whisper of her skirts in their fleeting path. The remaining company sat for several minutes in silence, until Van spoke up.

"Well, she took that rather well- as if she was expecting something of that nature." Merle nodded, still looking at the doorway where her friend had rushed off through. 

"Yeah, I'd be more surprised if I were her and someone told me something like that. I'd freak out! Your sister is really brave, Allen." The knight of Caeli nodded numbly, as if drifting in thought. He moved his gaze from the door to the window where the view was a strategic scene of the gardens and over the tall cliff to the kingdom below. He sighed, then turned to look at the young king and cat girl.

"I know. That's what I'm afraid of... Va, you don't think that Dilandau has gotten control of her, do you? He could make her run away or do something even more rash... I think I should go to her." Van didn't say anything, but watched the older man get up and leave. Merle inched closer to him, holding onto his arm protectively.

"Lord Van... if Dilandau has somehow freed himself... shouldn't you....?" He ruffled her hair affectionately, smiling lightly.

"Don't worry, Merle, I'll post more guards around Celena's room as well as my own, alright? Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to anyone, alright?"

  
  
  
  


_It's an odd feeling, but I feel rather comfortable now. I always felt as though I was never fully aware of all that was in my mind, and now I recognize that shuttered region to be Dilandau's part. We both share memories, for we shared actions and emotions , but his area of my mind is not mine to see, it is his own. Brother said that the sorcerers created Dilandau suing my body and some magic of some sort- but both Dilandau and I clearly remember seeing the other at that last fateful experiment. What happened in that time that neither of us can remember? I wish I knew... Tonight, when I sleep, I'll have to tell Dilandau all that I've learned, and see if there's something we can do. That's the problem, I feel that he doesn't deserve to be caged in my mind, no matter what his crimes. I know Brother doesn't like him, but maybe he'll help us because I'm his little sister... I'll have to ask him. ...I wonder if there's some way we can talk- when I'm awake, that is. Mental telepathy or something of that sort. Maybe if I tried-_

_"_Celena? May I come in?" She put down her diary, sighing.

"If you want to. The door is open, Allen." A soft 'click' was heard, and Allen stuck his head in. 

"Are you alright, Celena?" She sighed and faced him.

"I'm rather irritated with you, Allen. I can't believe you kept something like this from me-"

"I know, Celena, I'm sorry , but-"

"but you did it because you love me. I know Allen. But even so... I'm not sure whether to feel relieved that I know, or frightened because of who he- who _I_ was. But I don't think I'll ever be afraid of him because we're so close, and since he never seems to be mean to me, I don't know what to think. But I don't think that either of us deserves to have two minds trapped in one body- I want to help him get out." Allen sighed in relief, then sat in the chair next to her bed.

"Celena, I can send for a sorcerer-"

"NO!! I remember what they did, Allen.... I don't want them to touch me!!" He nodded and pulled her close, holding her in a tight hug. She wouldn't say what they did, but he could see the fear in her eyes and that meant that they had been horrible, whatever her memories were. She buried her face in his shoulder for a moment, calming herself down, willing the bad thoughts away. When she seemed calmer, Allen asked gently,

"would you at least talk to one? If I were in the room with you the whole time?" She looked up, hoe coming through her tear-stained eyes. 

"Would you, Brother?" He smiled and nodded, wiping away the last stains of tears from her cheeks.

"Of course. We'll see if one of the sorcerers who came to us before the war ended will come. I', sure one of them can help- is that what you want?" She nodded, smile beginning to creep back to face.

"But what about Lord Van? And Merle? Since they know about it, shouldn't they come?" Allen winced.

"Well... Merle would be fine, being your friend, but Van... Well, Dilandau hated Van, and I'm not sure any interaction would be wise..."

"Please, Brother, if we're going to release Dilandau, we ought to at least make him understand that I don't want him hurting anyone- Van especially. He'll listen to me, I know it. Please do what you must, but I think I'm going to rest a bit this afternoon- I want to be fresh for the feast this evening. Thank you, Brother, for telling me." Allen frowned slightly, not believing her calmness, but when she didn't say anything else, he sighed and left after giving her another quick hug. She let herself sigh once he'd gotten out of earshot, and laid herself down on her bed, thoughts whirring as though she'd been spinning very, very fast and couldn't seem to stop. Faces, names, places , smoke all billowed up in front of her eyes, and she tried blinking out the memories and tears that seemed to burst forth. 

"It took you long enough**_."_**

She gasped, and realized she must've cried herself to sleep. Dilandau sat cross legged on the floor of a cage- it closely resembled the hanging cages of Zaibach, only his was on the ground. He looked up and smirked as she knelt down to speak with him at eye level. She touched the bars tentatively, studying them closely. "Why are you in there, Dilandau?" He looked at her and laughed rather dejectedly.

"This is what the sorcerers used to keep our minds apart. They also had a wall of some sort of magical mist- a wall of interception so that we would have no recollection of each other if this happened, but you cleared that away when you visited.... _Van_ last purple. He triggered a memory of mine, which thinned the cloud enough for me to awaken, and for you to start seeing my memories in the form of dreams. As soon as I was fully awake, I started to send you more dreams, to try to tell you. but you were too daft- you had to have your brother tell you. Figures." He "hmphed", but she grew angry even as he spoke.

"_You_ sent me all those nasty dreams, just to try to tell me?? Why couldn't you tell me right up-front??" He laughed, a bit of his older self coming through.

"Would you believe a voice in your head if it told you that you'd spent 10 years of your life as the captain of the Dragonslayers- male, no less? Besides, I needed to clear away the rest of the mist, and grow stronger so I could talk to you more effectively. And I was bored. That was probably the main reason." He laughed again even as she scowled angrily, getting ready to yell at him good and properly.

"You...you... you..!! AGH!! You frustrate me so!!" He simply smiled, teeth flashing in his feral grin. She sniffed and stood, turning to go. 

"If you keep laughing, I'll just leave and you'll be all alone again, do you want that?" His laughter stopped, and his voice grew soft.

"Don't leave me alone." She turned to look at him. His features were harsh ad demanding, but his eyes were showing a desperate plea and fear that she knew all too well. She sat down again, studying the bars again.

"So ,what would happen if these were to go away?" He shrugged, a bit more relaxed after she'd sat down again and after realizing that she wouldn't leave.

"I dunno. I think we'd be able to talk all the time, even when you were awake. And maybe be able to switch from body to body. I don't know. But since the sorcerers were the ones who captured my being and put it into your body, I haven't a clue as to how to get rid of them anyway. Who knows, we could merge minds if we did manage to get rid of them. But it doesn't matter. Your brother's bringing a sorcerer to see you and he'll help erase me completely. Then, you'll be free.' He seemed to brood on this for several minutes, and she whispered softly,

"Dilandau, I don't want to see the sorcerer." He nodded, and replied,

"Neither do I." she spoke again.

"I'm frightened." Again, a nod.

"I am too."

  
  


We sat for some time, neither saying anything as we brooded over our fates. It was all so sudden, I didn't know what to think. The idea of a sorcerer getting rid of the intruder in my mind was like a relief, but when I looked over and saw him, sitting there so quietly, I immediately felt ashamed. He sat chewing his lip, hands tucked tightly under his knees, ans he was staring at his feet. If I had any mind in the matter, I bet he was thinking about the slayers. Then, a twinge of regret struck my own heart. They had been my slayers too- Dilandau was fond of them; he had had an almost brotherly love towards them, but I had loved them as though I had been their mother. 'Maternal instinct', I thought. Dilandau wasn't fatherly to them, but like a strict hen over her chicks. I supposed that had been my influence over the matter..

I watched him for a bit longer, then stared down at my own hands clenched tightly in my lap. I realized then that I didn't want to lose him- not like this. I had just regained my past and was already making plans to get rid of all I had left. I looked back up at him suddenly. "I'm not going to let the sorcerer destroy you. We've got to free you by ourselves, and we'll start with these bars. Now stand up and help me." He looked at me in shock- I suppose it was because I was never bossy, and I was acting a bit out of character. He simply looked down at the floor again, looking more like the time that all of his slayers had left him. 

"It'll only work if you have enough power to do it, and you don't. I've accepted my fate, now leave me alone."he gasped as I reached through the bars and grabbed him by the collar.

"Do you _want_ to be killed off, and then leave me all alone?" He frowned, trying to shrug out of my grip. 

"You've got your brother- you don't need me..." I refused to let him go, in fact, I tightened my grip. 

"I don't care if you care or not. Though I can't believe you're just going to let them win like this. But **I** don't want you dead. I want you alive and well, in your own body. As I look back on all our body's been through, you're more of a brother to me than Allen at times. Now stop feeling sorry for yourself and help me break these bars!!" He stared at me, then his grin crept back onto his face. I let him go and we both stood, attacking a bar, kicking and pushing and running up into it. It didn't budge for the longest time, then, Dilandau put up a hand and we stopped our attack. The bar was fractured- a good kick from one of his steel tipped boots would do the trick. Dilandau backed up, and jump-kicked the metallic pole, sending the pieces to the floor. The pain was so immense we both toppled to the floor in surprise. But it subsided quickly, and we both got to our feet gingerly. Dilandau grinned ferally, and laughed.

"We only need one more to go until jailbreak- this'll hurt; don't chicken out on me!!" I responded by returning his grin and kicking the next bar with all my strength. He laughed again, then we set to work on getting rid of out last obstacle. The pain was building, and every tiny crack was another wave of pain surging through my mind. I almost fell twice, but I saw Dilandau gritting his teeth and bearing it, so I vowed to do so as well soon after the second jolt of pain there was a loud cracking noise, and we both shouted in surprise and pain as the last remaining pieces of the bar fell away. Dilandau grabbed my arm as I fell to the floor, and I noted distantly happily that he had gotten out of the cage. His face over mine, his words were lost to me as I was slowly being woken up.

  
  


Allen was gently shaking his sister, a worried look on his face. "Celena? Celena!! Wake up!!" She moaned softlyand sat up, eyes blinking and hand on her head.

"Owww.... what is it Allen? What do you want? He seemed taken aback by her grumpiness, and continued.

"It's time to get ready for the feast. Are you alright? You seem pale." She rubbed her head gently, an odd expression on her face. She paused for a minute, and then a small smile spread across her face and she responded.

"I'm sorry to have worried you, Brother- I have a bad headache, that's all. I didn't sleep well." He looked even more concerned than before, however, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Do you not feel well enough to go? Do you want me to stay with you? Should I get a doctor to-"

"No Allen. I'm fine, really. I 'll be fine in a bit, Brother, I just need to get dressed. That will clear my head." He still seemed dissatisfied with this answer, however, he didn't get a chance to respond because she jumped out of bed and looked at him strictly. "_Brother_. I understand your attachment to your knight's costume, but tonight, can't you wear something other than black pants, white shirt, and blue over coat?" She fussed over him until he found himself bustled out the door with a promise to change into something more suitable when he got to his rooms. Sighing, she shut the door and leaned against it, rubbing her aching brow.

**_Thank the Gods _he's_ gone!! _** Celena frowned, walking over to the mirror. A boy's face looked back at her, smiling. She glared at him and replied.

_Don't you ever speak of Brother like that! He's been through a lot too. I can't wait until we figure out how to separate our bodies- you're already making me mad!_

**_Do you really think that Allen or Van will let me live once I'm free? I know he's your brother, but think logically. He doesn't want me playing with his little sister's life or mind, so the sooner I'm gone, the better._** She sighed, looking through a series of dresses for that night. 

_Then I'll run away. We'll figure out some way to separate without the help of the sorcerers. We'll find someone who can help us. _ He laughed as she thought this.

**_Typical weak woman thought._** She frowned, holding up a blue dress in front of the mirror. Dilandau didn't look very good in it, and he scowled as she smirked at the sight of him holding a dress up to himself.

_Do you have any better ideas?_

**_No. But you should wait a few days. Security will lax around our room, then- with my help, of course- we can slip away._**__

_I wish there was someone we knew who could help us..._

**_There is, and they will. If not for my sake, then for yours. But you have to trust me, Celena._**__

_I do, Dilandau. I trust you. You're all I've got left._

  
  


_*_Well? How'd you like it? Sorry this took so long to get up, I noticed a few days ago I haven't posted anything since July!! Gomen Mina!! There is some good news though!! I've finished writing this fic, now all I have to do is type it... I'll have more soon, promise!! R/R, tell me what you think!! ~SirLadySketch~*


	5. Visions of Escape

Visions of Escape

11-18-01

SirLadySketch@home.com

  
  


*Sorry it's taken so long to get this out, everyone. I'm working on getting what I can typed when I can. I hope to be able to finish the rest this upcoming long weekend, but who knows how much I'll actually get done? Anyways, hope you enjoy this, I'm thinking about taking this off, then reposting it when completed. What do you think? Lemme know, k?

  
  


Visions of Escape

  
  


The next few days passed quickly, as one would expect in the heat of a week filled of laughter, amusement, shows, games, and all kinds entertainment long promised to the kingdom by the young King of Fanelia. If only it had been all laughter and joy for those in the palace. The King walked about in a guarded way, and forced a cheerful face when his counselors made a fuss about him overworking himself. Merle was by his side almost the entire time, trying to ease his discomfort and fear as best she could without getting in the way. The knight of Heaven, Allen Schezar, moped about the castle, trying to keep watch on his little sister while fulfilling his duties as representative of Asturia. In fact, the only one who was really cheerful was the Lady Celena Schezar, who smiled amiably anytime someone spoke to her. A changed woman, some remarked that she'd snapped; the pressure of being a lady had been too much for her after all those years she'd been raised as a commoner in Zaibach. Had anyone known the truth about her past or the lady herself, they'd be shocked to know that they were closer to the truth than they'd possibly imagined. Celena walked about the castle almost always smiling, the only times she would falter would be when Allen insisted that she should rest, that the shock of her past was too much for her to force herself to be cheerful like this. Celena smirked as she remembered the words Dilandau had suggested she use, and then frowned when she remembered how saying them to her brother had gotten her into her present situation- locked in her room. She scowled, muttering unladylike words under her breath and staring at the bird flitting about merrily in the cage beside the window. She smiled slightly as it sang sweetly, not the normally charming but empty headed smile of Celena Schezar, but not the insane grin of Dilandau either. She spoke softly to the bird, her thoughts quiet as Dilandau "slept". "Are you homesick, little bird? Do you want to be free?"

"Celena? Are you awake? I'm coming in." A soft click was heard and Allen stepped through the door, holding a tray of food for her. She scowled and turned her attention back to the window. He flushed ever so slightly and put the tray down on a table, then walked over to where she was sitting. "I'm sorry, Celena. I know you must be angry with me. But you know-"

"It's for your own good. Don't presume you know what's best for me, Allen. I can hardly see how putting me under house arrest is for the best. If I promise to be good, will you let me out?" He sighed, and walked over to the window.

"I've sent for a sorcerer. He'll be here within a week." She gasped, clutching her skirts in balled fists and her face went white with fear. Inside, something inside awoke and lurched. She panted, trying to keep the fear from her voice.

"Why? Brother, why did you send for one so soon? You said you'd wait until we got home!!" She didn't move even as he pulled her close to him in a strong embrace, her fear mixed with the rage and terror within threatened to make her tremble as they recalled what the last sorcerers who had touched them had done. She hissed in the memory of pain hardly bearable, the experiments, the needles and the faces all colouring a memory red, and clutched Allen's sleeve, despite Dilandau's cry for her to hit him and make him suffer for summoning the ones who had made them this way. "I don't want to see them, Brother... Keep them away from me! I don't want to be near any of them again!!" She cried onto his shoulder, and he patted her back, trying to comfort her by speaking in his most soothing tones.

"Shh, Celena, it will be alright. I'm here, and I promised I wouldn't leave you alone with them. Remember? I promised you, I'll never leave you alone again." She buried her face harder into his shoulder, and he began to feel weak and ineffective. He tried to smile, and said in a lighter tone, "Why don't you go out with Merle and see some of the festivities? You've been cooped up here long enough; I think what you really need is some fresh air and a change from the castle atmosphere." She looked up, eyes still wet with tears.

"R-re-really Brother?" He smiled fondly, she seemed so childlike, so much like how she remembered her before, so innocent and so fragile.

"Of course. Now, why don't you clean yourself up, get something to eat, then run off to see where Merle is? I'm sure she'll be happy to take you out." She laughed and hugged him tightly, making him gasp when he felt the strength he didn't know she possessed.

"Thank you Brother!! I will, I will!!" She ran over to the wardrobe, threw it open, and started to undress to get into her new attire. Allen blushed and closed his eyes, walking towards the door.

"I'll leave you to get dressed then. Have fun, Celena."

"I will Brother! Thank you!" Allen sighed and shook his head, walking down the corridor, not stopping even as a voice stated flatly,

"You're going to regret that, I'm sure." Allen flushed in anger somewhat, but kept his tongue- it would not be fit for him to attack his host after all.

"Maybe. But anything to make her happy, I will do. She confuses me so much- mopey one moment, giggling the next. She seems both unstable and yet at the same time a mastermind."

"Dilandau." The King's statement seemed to hang in the air, chilling the hall despite the warm sunlight pouring in from the large windows. Allen quickened his pace. 

"I pray the sorcerer puts an end to it all soon." 

"As do I, or your sake, as well as your sister's."

  
  


"C'mon, Celena! You walk way to slow to do anything!! The best place for shopping is over here!" The cat-girl pointed over in the direction of another market square, brightly decorated for the occasion. Celena, who did not have the benefits of wearing a short dress, lagged behind, slightly winded and hiking her skirts above her knees.

"I'm... sorry... Have to.... rest.. A moment...." The woman fell onto a bench by the side of the road, gasping and trying to catch her breath. The cat girl walked over, shaking her head.

"Celena! Don't you have anything better to go around in than... that?" Celena looked down at the frilly pink dress in equal disgust, then shook her head, sighing. In a mocking tone, she repeated the words her maid had spoken to her when they'd purchased the dress.

"'Tis better to be at the height of fashion than the height of comfort, or so said my maid back home. Do you mind if I find something a little more breathable to wander around in? I won't be able to do half the things I'd hoped if I'm stuck in this thing." She tugged at one of the laced sleeves, and Merle grinned.

"Well... I hafta admit, it is kinda... flashy... We'll go this way to get you something, then we've gotta hurry if you wanna see the knights in the tournament. There're some great warriors competing, and we really oughta try to see at least one of the sparring matches. So come on!" The cat girl raced off in the opposite direction she'd pointed earlier, and Celena hurried to follow her, making sure not to lose her in the crowds. An hour later, Celena, garbed in new attire similar to her companion's, sat next to the girl cheering on some of the competitors in the afternoon sparring match, guessing between themselves who would win. Celena was almost always right- she was able to spot the sloppy fighter from those who had potential. After the trials were over and new entertainment was brought to the field, Merle stretched languidly, watching a jester setup for some tricks around the small space. 

"Soooo.... Didn't I tell you that that guy was gonna win? Anyway, what do you want to do- Celena?" The redhead blinked and looked around, finding her companion missing and a man sitting beside her, drinking heavily from a large horn of ale. "Celena!! Where are you?" The man who'd taken Celena's spot said something rude that angered the girl, so when she left a few moments later, he bore five scratches across the face. She walked around the arena for a bit, then shrugged, sighing a little. They'd said that if they'd gotten separated, they'd try to find each other, or if that failed that they would meet at the castle before dark. Merle was a little worried at the idea of Celena wandering around by herself, but there were plenty of guards around, and the woman did have a history for being able to defend herself very well (though Merle secretly believed this was because of Dilandau's influence on her through subconscious messages. How he pulled it off, she didn't know, but she held to the belief anyway.) So, Merle walked off, trying to shake off the nagging feeling that something was wrong. She spent the remainder of the day visiting some of the various shops and stalls before heading back to the castle, still somewhat worried about her friend. When she was within calling range from the castle, a guard ran up to her, a look of worry and confusion on his face. 

"Lady Merle, I am sent to take you to his majesty and Sir Allen of Asturia. They say it is urgent and cannot wait until later. If you'll please follow me." He swiftly turned around without waiting for a response, and Merle was forced to run off after him, sinking feeling in her stomach growing deeper and heavier. The guard led her to Van's private study, where Allen was pacing back and forth while Van rubbed his temples, sighing. When she walked into the room, she could almost taste the anger, upset and fear that came form the two, though Van was bearing it with more composure than Allen. The knight turned as the door opened, then his features fell to an almost disbelieving horror. 

"Celena isn't with you." Merle gulped, shaking her head.

"We got separated during one of the tournaments, but we're going to meet up in front of the castle as the sun is setting, so don't worry. I've gotta hurry so that she won't be waiting and think I'm lost or anything!"She laughed, but the two glanced at each other, then Van responded softly, 

"You would be waiting a long time then. Celena didn't get lost by accident, Merle, she purposely lost you." Merel gave a half laugh, already fearing the truth.

"Lord Van, there has to be some mistake! I men, there's no reason for her to run off like that, mean with little money and no food or provisions or anything..." She trailed off, knowing it was a weak argument even as she spoke it. "Right Lord Van..?" The young looked at Allen instead.

"Show her, Allen." The pale knight of heaven handed her a piece of paper that had been crushed- either in frustration or by accident, she didn't know. Her eyes widened as she read what the letter said, and began to understand the reason for the increased guards and somewhat flustered appearance of some of the higher ranking officers. They knew what the public didn't: Dilandau Albatou was free. Licking her suddenly dry lips, she looked over the letter again, this time reading it out loud.

"Dearest Brother,

By the time you've found this, I'll be out of the city, and hopefully near the borders of Fanelia. Though when I say 'I', I really mean 'We'. I was able to wake up Dilandau, but he's still worried about you. I refuse to let you hurt him in anyway, Allen! We know that you know what a sorcerer would do to him, and I refuse to lose a part of my past, no matter how bloody and violent it is. You did not live through what I did, you know nothing of the experiences we've shared, the pain we've endured, the good as well as the bad. I refuse to part with someone who understands me more than you, my own brother. I love you, Allen, I hope you know that. But I will not be treated as a child, nor will I allow you to force me to go on, pretending the past didn't happen. It did, and I will live to the end of my days knowing all I have done. I have to have my other half to do this; you will not destroy that which makes me whole. 

I decided to take Dilandau's advice and run away, because I believe I know someone who will help. I know that the one I'm thinking of will- a kind heart will not turn away one in need, or so Mother always said. We've though about this thoroughly, and we've thought of everything. Dilandau and I will be separated, the Dragonslayers will be resurrected, and then we'll part ways- you'll never hear from them again, you have my oath as well as Dilandau's. Just make sure that Lord Van doesn't try to follow us, it may be too painful for him. And tell him I'm sorry, but I needed to borrow it and I was sure he wouldn't have handed it over. He'll get the necklace back when I return. And tell Merle I'm sorry for abandoning her like that, but I had to do it to get out of the city without anyone noticing something amiss until it was too late. Don't worry, I've bought supplies, a horse and proper traveling attire for this adventure, and I borrowed one of the knight's practice swords. 

And also... I wanted to tell you that when I return it won't be for good. I'm tired of you babying me, and treating me like I'm nothing but a glass doll that you have to lock up all the time. I'm a grown woman, Allen, I can take care of myself. We'll talk when I return.

Please, don't be angry with me.

Love,

Celena

Ps- Don't worry about the bird, I fixed it."

Merle looked down at the letter in disbelief. "She ran away? I never thought she'd have the guts to do that! And what does she mean about fixing the bird?"

"She freed it last night. I found the cage this morning after I found the letter under my evening wear." Allen sank into the chair near Van, putting his head in his hands. Van spoke up.

"We can't afford to let her escape, not if Dilandau could be manipulating her. I'm sending you with Allen in the morning to bring her back before she-" He cut off, lowering his eyes. Merle's heart cried for the young King.

"...Before she summons Hitomi?"

"Precisely."

  
  


*AN- ok, sorry it's so late, things have been hectic as of late and this is the first I've been able to type it all up. I think there might be more than the original 15 chpts I'd hoped, but oh well. I'll get 'em up asap, but don't expect anything before the end of this week, k? PLEASE R/R. Lemme know what you think!! ~ SirLadySketch@home.com*


	6. Visions of The Road

*AN- Wow! People actually want to read more!! ^_^ I'm trying to get bit by bit done, just keep writing and harassing me, nk? I'll get it done quicker if I know there're actually people who want it finished... Not that I won't put it ll up anyway, I just like motivation! And is this a Celena/Dilly romance...? No! It's a Sam/Celena romance!! Hahahaha ..ha..haha...ha.... Ok, so maybe that wasn't funny... But! Grins evilly You'll all just hafta wait and see... or vote on it after I've posted the end of this story. Big thanks to those who've reviewed, especially Normalisboring and Phantom Angel () You guys are great!! ^_^ Enjoy!! ~SLS~* Drat it all.... for some reason, the italics and bold aren't working.. . For this ch, this is Dilly speaking //This is Celena//, /this is a flashback/ ok? Sorry 'bout that...

  
  


Visions of the Road

  
  


Sam led a fairly uneventful life. Oh, it had its ups and downs like any other, but it was still fairly monotonous. He ran a small inn on the edge of the Fanelian capitol's main road headed towards Freid, which was only a few days travel from his inn. But it hadn't been so bad as of late- not with the festival and everything going on. He'd gotten more patrons this past few weeks then he'd had in the previous months combined. Odd people of all sorts had shown up demanding food, ale, a room, and sometimes all three. Dogmen from the forests surrounding the area, Cat people from the far desert regions of Freid, the bizzare Fish people of the Nautilis islands, Bird people from Astoria's mountain regions, then the normal humans who came from various class status; thief to earl or duke, all were welcome in Sam's small tavern, as long as they could pay. And so, when business was slowing down one night and he had little else to do, Sam studied the odd woman who'd come to his inn. She was very pale, and spoke very little the whole night, save that she wanted food, ale, a room and a wakeup call the next morning. One man had been stupid enough to approach her, despite the fact that she made all the signs of wanting to be alone, and he received a broken nose and a split lip. Sam's interest was peaked, but when asking the lady about her business, she simply looked at him, then paid for her food and went up to the room he'd given her. The only thing he'd gotten from her was that she was from Fanelia, and she had a sick cousin in Freid whom she needed to visit quickly. He sat back, drying a shot glass as he recalled her response.

/"So, what's a lovely lady such as yourself doing all alone on the road?" She's laughed at this, and sipped some of her ale. He'd never seen any woman able to consume as much as she and still retain a sharp edge. He'd been slightly chilled when she looked at him at first, then her eyes softened and she laughed, a tinkling sound that reminded him of a songbird's call.

"I'm not as alone as you'd think... Besides, I can take care of myself."

"So I see. I think you broke that man's nose, you know." She laughed bitterly.

"He deserved it." Sam shook his head, sighing.

"I am sorry about him, Miss. Not many around here hold their ale and wits in balance. I'm glad you weren't hurt." She smiled but didn't speak, then indicated she wanted another. He refilled her mug, and she spoke before taking a sip.

"My... cousin is ill. He lives in Freid, near the ancient city of Godashim. I want to go... and see if he's alright. I'm worried... he's like a brother to me." A tear rolled down her cheek, and he could barely hear her say the name 'Allen' before wiping it away and resuming her blank expression. "I need you to wake me at the break of dawn. And I want breakfast ready for me when I'm downstairs, as I said before, I'm in a rush." /

He'd agreed and served her dinner, then she'd retreated to her room after he pursued her answers still further, not convinced. 'Probably running form the law, poor little thing. I wish her the best of luck, wherever she's going' Sam's mind was then taken off of his pale customer when a group of men came in, sitting down noisily and calling for beer. Sam hastily filled them mugs, and soon forgot about the girl in the fray of his business.

  
  


I closed the door to the room, sighing as I locked it shut.

Well, that was rather touching. What an idiot, he actually believed you! You should become an actress! Tears and everything, you did almost as well as I would've done. 

I tugged off my boots with carelessness, throwing them in a heap by the bed along with my pack and cloak. I changed into one of the shirts I'd "borrowed" from Allen, then I sunk onto the inviting bed which was screaming out my name. Dilandau, who didn't appreciate being ignored, scowled at me from the grimey mirror in the corner.

What's the matter? You're not chickening out on me now, are you? Want to go back after only a day of riding? That's pathetic. You-I

//Be quiet, Dilandau. I'm tired, and I don't feel like dealing with you. I've had a bad day, and your muttering is keeping me awake when all really want to do is go to sleep. And I wasn't acting. Do you have any idea what I'll go back to, once this is all over? But of course you do, you had to deal with gardening for two years as well. Allen will be furious with me, I doubt I'll ever go outdoors without a chaperone again after this. He'll probably try to marry me off, but who would have me? He's worried about his reputation, and I have basically none whatsoever, although maybe a negative one. And after today... people will think that I ran away from Allen because he's cruel, but he isn't!! I'm destroying everything he's worked so hard for, just by being here now. Do you realize that, Dilandau?//

..You worry too much.

//Do I? I mysteriously reappear one day with amnesia and sick. Allen spent time with me then, nursing me back to health. Everything he's ever done for me was just for my own good. And how do I repay him? Dilandau, do you think he really hates me now? Does he regret me coming back? I mean-//

Don't even think that. Any fool can see how much he loves you, Celena. Or Maybe every fool except you. He didn't say anything else, and I was grateful for the silence while it lasted. We were both quiet for a while, but when I looked back into the mirror, he was still looking at me. You know that you can come with me. You can leave with me and we'll find somewhere far away from here, maybe on one of the smaller continents. Somewhere far from Allen, the sorcerers, ....Van, Astoria, Freid, Fanelia. We can leave it all behind, and make a new life. I studied his eyes for several moments, trying to read them, but despite our similarities, I could not read those burning garnets that were studying me. I gave him a light smile, not sure if I really believed what I said.

//But then who would take care of Allen?//

He laughed, to my surprise, and sat up on the bed, even though I chose to remain sprawled out. I guess he had liberties when he wasn't confined to the body; his image could do whatever it wanted. He checked the door again, then sat in a chair positioned in the corner that would allow him to see the whole 'room'.

You're right. Allen couldn't take care of himself if all he ever needed was handed to him on a silver platter. Now, get some sleep. I want the body to be fresh tomorrow, because it's my turn. I laughed as well, getting under the covers and closing my eyes.

//I'm no the one keeping the body awake.// I fell asleep wondering what any normal person would think if they were to listen to our conversations. They'd probably think me mad. I wonder how far from the truth that would be?

~

"Miss? Miss, I'm here to give you your wakeup call. You said you wanted to be up now, and well, it's dawn so-"

"I heard you the first time. I'm awake, now go make me breakfast." A gruff voice from inside cut Sam off short, and made him shiver as he heard it. He ran off down the stairs to do as he'd been ordered, rationalizing in his mind that her voice was so rough because she'd just woken up, and her rude attitude was either from a hangover or women's issues. He decided he wouldn't ask her when she came down, and he'd pretend nothing had happened. When the cloaked figure did finally come down the stairs, she looked tired, though a bit taller, and he spoke cheerfully as she sat down at the table to eat the breakfast he was laying down for her.

"Sleep well, Miss?" He almost jumped out of his skin when she looked up and he found himself looking at a he. Red eyes burned with unnatural light as they glared up at him, and though a blank expression was held, Sam felt himself begin to tremble and wish himself back up in bed. The boy who was definitely NOT the girl seethed. 

"What did you just call me?" Sam shivered, wishing to run off and hide, maybe behind one of the larger barrels in the cellars. Sam spoke as steadily as he could manage, though he still shook in fear.

"F-forgive me, S-sir. I mistook you for the young lady who was-"

"In the room last night? My sister, Celena? She left last night, and I'm going to leave soon as well. If you know what's good for you, you'll go and refill my mug now, peon." Sam scuttled off with the mug, refilling it to the brim and then hovering in the shadows, not sure if he should stay or run off. The boy did look remarkably like the girl, except he had a car running down his cheek, and his eyes looked like those of a madman- a far cry from the girl the night before. The boy finished the meal with relish, then stood to go, throwing a few pieces on the table. As he walked out, Sam ventured a single question. 

"What about the lady?" The boy laughed, walking out to the stables. Sam, not sure what possessed him to do so, followed to get his answer. The boy was tacking the horse when Sam came to the door of the barn, and stared hollowly at him as he watched the bridle slip over the stallion's jet black head. The boy finished loading the gear onto the white horse the girl 'Celena' had ridden in on, and he led the two outside, brushing past Sam without a word. When Sam opened his mouth to speak again, the boy put his back to him and swung up on the black horse, then turned to put an angry eye on him. A low, menacing growl cut through the fog that misted the ever- lightening sky.

"Don't speak of me to anyone, or I will personally come back and slit your throat. Don't worry yourself over the girl, she's safe, and that's all you need to know." Sam moved to hold him a moment later to ask him about the payment for the lodgings when he heard the hiss of steel being withdrawn, and felt an icy sword point against his throat. He looked up at the boy, and found him smiling with an insane look in his eyes; a bloodlust that was never sated. He brought up his arm to sever the poor innkeeper's head, but hesitated, then laughed; a deep, menacing sound that rang through the trees, and echoed through one's very soul. Sam fell to the ground, having fainted from fear. The boy sped off into the woods, knowing all too well the many miles that lay ahead of him on his journey.

//That was rather interesting, Dilandau. Why didn't you kill him then and there? I know you wanted to.// The girl's voice rang through his mind with an edge of laughter to it, perhaps because she knew how much she was irritating him and how much he wished he could throttle her neck to keep her quiet. He couldn't though, and she was enjoying this tremendously. //Dilandau!! You're not the same!! You're slipping! What would the men say, if they knew you let someone who was bothering you live?//

Shut up! You know very well why I didn't kill him, it hasn't changed in the five minutes you asked me earlier. I don't want to go around needlessly killing people, because though it would let me blow some steam, it would also be the equivalent of standing on top of a cliff waving an enormous flag and shouting, 'Here I am, Allen! Come and get me!' My men would know that I'm not stupid, and they'd also know that if they even thought I was slipping, they'd get a slap for being troublesome.

//You really miss, them, don't you?// He didn't answer, but she hadn't expected him to. He rode in silence, dressed a bit oddly had there been anyone to remark upon it. Though Dilandau had grown since the last time he was free, he was still nowhere near the height of the knight of Caeli, and his 'brother's' clothes hung loosely on him, covered by a large, black cloak that was more in fashion for women then men, though still acceptable for both sexes. He'd managed to buy some more suitable boots for himself since Celena's were too small and Allen's were too big, but the puffy poet's blouse and the baggy pants irritated him none the less. He'd also bought a small dagger for cooking, and a short sword that was easily hidden in the voluminous cloak from a merchant who had been making his way towards the inn as they left it. But Dilandau wasn't even happy when he felt protected again. He'd complained to no end about his hair- he didn't like the fact that Celena had allowed her hair to grow past her shoulders, but she wouldn't hear of it being cut.// I refuse to even consider it! It took me two years to reach that length, and you're not going to ruin all my efforts with a swing of the sword. Deal with it for a few days, and tie it back if it bothers you that much. Allen has long hair, and so do a lot of men these days. I mean, think about it, there was Dalet, and Viole, and-// She hadn't gotten any further, because he'd said to forget it, and they rode in silence for a long time, neither very happy with the other. They'd only met one other being while on the road; a lone wolfman with a cart of goods for the fair. He greeted Dilandau cheerfully, despite the early mist that still hung about them, and Dilandau answered with a curt nod. Soon afterwards, when the wolfman was out of sight, they passed through the trees and off the road to avoid being seen by anyone else. The day dragged on, and by the time it was noon, Celena was whiny and Dilandau wished more vehemently that he could throttle her neck without hurting himself in turn.

//Dilandau!!!! How much longer 'til you stop?? I'm tired, you're tired, I'm hungry and you're hungry, heck, we haven't stopped at all since we left!! I wanna get up and walk around, and we've had to go to the bathroom for over an hour now!! So stop so you can walk around and pee!// He grabbed the reins and kicked the horse even more, defiantly ignoring her.

No. Learn to deal with discomfort. You can go after I've had lunch and need to rest for a bit, not before then. Now quit your whining! No slayer ever whined half as much as you do, and they were severely punished when they showed weakness. Now be quiet! She was, for a time, then she perked up and started a new conversation with cheerful laughter.

//Ever think about the rain? Or the sea? Or waterfalls and streams and lakes and rivers? All that water, flowing and gushing and running, dripping and-//

ARRRRRRRRRRRRGH!!!

Ten minutes later, after a brief walk and rest stop, Dilandau was back in the horse, glowering angrily and sitting stiffly as he suffered the humiliation of defeat. 

Are you happy now? A sickeningly sweet reply answered

//Very! Thank you!!//

Allen sat worn and withdrawn in the inn, now rather drunk and miserable. Merle- who'd been sent after him when the knight had dashed off after his sister without supplies: no gear- not even shoes. Merle had had to convince him to return to get the things he'd forgotten, then had followed him upon Van's request. Two days had gone by, and they were still only a few hours ride from the capitol. The knight was depressed, and the alcohol he was consuming didn't make his mood lighten any more. Little did they know, they were in the same tavern that his sister had left behind only the day before. It wasn't until the barkeep talked to him that Allen began to feel hope again.

"Don't tell me- you've got a relative that's sick in Fried, right?" Allen looked at the man blearily, and Merle shook her head.

"No, his little sister is missing. Why do you ask?" Sam scratched his chin.

"Well, you're the second customer who's been leaving Fanelia instead of going to it. And you look somewhat like the girl who was leaving for Freid, said she had a sick cousin named Allen there. She left in the middle of the night, but her twin brother came to collect her things and left early in the morning. I dunno, you just reminded me of them, 'cept they were all pale like and stuff."

"You shawwwmfwhuat?" Sam nodded, accustomed to the drunken slurs of men who've had too many mugs of ale."

"Two people, said they were brother and sister- or at least he said it. Must've been twins, they looked the same, 'cept the boy had a scar down his cheek." Merle gasped and Allen miraculously recovered- well, he sobered up slightly, at any rate. He began to form coherent sentences; unfortunately, they were long strings of curses, and Merle blushed, heding him towards the room they'd asked for, after repeatedly apologizing to Sam and telling Allen to control himself. Sam shook it off with a laugh, and told them good night. When they reached the room, Merle closed the door and watched the knight lower himself onto his bed, hand over his eyes.

"So... you think that was them?" The knight nodded slowly, his expression grim beneath his hand.

"Yes. Dilandau has gotten free." Merle gasped. 

"We've got to go back and warn Lord Van!!"

"Go ahead. I'm going to find my little sister, then pull that demon from her with my own bare hands, even if it kills me. We'll head out early tomorrow, and ride hard to catch up with them.

"But we don't even know where they're headed in Freid!!"

"We'll find them."

  
  


*A/N- I know, I know, another cliffhanger, gomen, Minna-san! I'm afraid I was gonna have this done last Thursday, but then my computer caught not one, but two, yes TWO viruses, and it wasn't cured until Sunday evening. And now I'm sick . So, you can thank the flu or whatever I've got for this coming out so soon, I had time to work on it today. So, just hope my fever holds and I'll be sick tomorr- no, wait a minute! Don't hope I'm sick tomorrow, just hope I get free time to get out ch 7, Visions of Love. I'll leave y'all with that to chew on you know, wondering who the title's referring to and with a funny little side note to tell you that I can't count, and that there're only 10 chapters, not 15. The pathetic thing is, I wasn't sick when I'd counted 15, and I'm sick now and I've only found there to be 10 chapters. Unless I plan to do a sequel, but you the readers will decide if that's happening or not! So, you know the drill, R/R!! SirLadySketch@home.com 12-11-01* 


	7. Visions of Love

*...Ok, now I feel stupid.... Yes, I know there are typos, I've found them and I've been made aware of them... . We'll pretend Dilly got into a 'melef accident, k? though that is kinda funny.... kudos to Silva Noir for finding it and making the funny joke! I know there are stupid mistakes, I found out I named Allen's owl when it already has a name, I gave Celena purple eyes when she has blue, and I think I keep changing the date....That, and I said this was chapter 7, when it's really only ch 6, or it is 7 if you count the prologue, which I don't. Oh well. I'll fix them all after I've gotten the whole thing up, you know, TTG v 2.009173 or something like that. Keep pointing them out to me, k? I get tired and my spellcheck doesn't pick up on those kinds of things... I also found out that not only did I make a booboo in counting my chapters when first putting this up, I also mis-categorized it.... . There is no romance in this half- well, not a lot anyways... Someone asked me if this is an AllenXMerle fic. My response is "Allen, you pedophile!!" So no, no neko-Allens will be running rampant in this fic. For the romance aspect, nothing significant, but I'm pretty sure I'm gonna write a sequel, with a CelenaX- pairing. Haha, wouldn't you all like to know??? grins evilly I'll let you all post your guesses, heck, we can even take a poll if you want to, after the last chapter is up. I know you're all going to hate me for the last chpt, but you know, that's what sequels are for. And if the sequels aren't what you want, then you can make your own sequels to my sequel! And on and on and on and on.... I think I need to get to sleep, my brain's kinda on the fritz. Random notes of the day- 1.Listen to "Call Me" and "Blue" from the Cowboy Beebop soundtrack "Blue". I think of Celena and Dilly when I here them- I dunno why, I just do. Especially "Blue", I can just hear it running through the background of ch 8...Weird, ne? 2.Go read ZibbelCoot''s "The Hunt" If you like Dilly fanfiction w/ a splash of Celena in there, you won't be disappointed. Heck, even if you don't, read it anyways! Go on! What are you waiting for? ...Fine, read the chapter, THEN go and read "The Hunt!" ... I talk too much, feel free to skip my pointless A/N's.. Oh, and watch out for Dilly's potty mouth!.*

  
  


Visions of Love

  
  


Luckily for Dilandau and Celena, "early" for the knight of Caeli ended up being about half past noon. After spending three hours of cold showers, black coffee, taking the equivalent of Gaian aspirin, and overall trying to rid himself of his nasty hangover from all the ale he'd consumed, Allen and Merle left the inn with Allen's head wrapped in a cold cloth, and Merle muttering under her breath about 'pathetic knights who get themselves too drunk to be of any use whatsoever'. In short, they were not having a very good time at all. 

  
  


The 'two' being pursued were riding hard and fast, trying to cover as much ground as possible. The terrain had changed since Dilandau had last been here; rocky slopes had taken the place of the wide, smooth fields; trees barred their path where there was supposed to be pasture land. Despite the alterations, Dilandau pushed both Celena and the horses to the limits, knowing all too well that the knight would catch up sooner or later. Freid was still a day away though, plus the two or three it would take until they reached the ancient city where the Emperor's "power spot" had been. Celena seemed to be the one who was reckless, though she blamed it on Dilandau rubbing off on her. He would simply laugh and say he was getting soft, and it was all her fault. She'd have the horse rush down the hill at a speed that she should've known better than to attempt, and Dilandau yelled at her several times before finally taking over and complaining about her recklessness. "Me? Reckless? Isn't that the pot calling the kettle back, dear Dilly?" He also complained about the nickname she'd given him, and when she'd refused to call him anything else, he ignored her for two hours before finally talking to her. But he called her 'Cele", an old nickname Allen had given her before Zaibach, which sounded like "Silly", and she soon stopped calling him "Dilly". The only contact they'd had with other travelers were a few shepherds, and a band of misfits. They'd had the run-in with the bandits because she'd been riding as though she was on important business, and she'd seemed unattended. They believed her story about having a sick relative almost as much as they believed her when she said a demon would attack them if they came closer. It wasn't until 'the demon' being rather disgruntled at being referred to like that and also having to deal with fools like them appeared that the men ran off screaming in terror. Celena felt better when she knew that Dilandau would protect her, no matter what she called him. Five days had soon passed, and she found herself enjoying her freedom more and more all the time. 

One of the only things that bothered her about the trip was that she found Dilandau almost paranoid whenever a large shadow passed, usually a stray dragon. Images of Van swooping down upon them to deliver a fatal blow would run through their mind until Celena was able to wipe them away, calming him as though she would a child. It was only her soothing voice that helped him cope, though she had to admit, she felt the fear he did: she had felt the bloodlust of Van when he slew the slayers, and when he'd attempted to kill Dilandau before Allen had stopped him. The mighty warrior had few fears, but memories that had been affected by Celena's presence pushing itself through made him falter. When Dilandau began to falter (though he would never in a million years acknowledge it), Celena would take over, being his strength when he lacked it; he in turn would give her the encouragement to go on- she feared Allen's disappointment and wrath more than failure in their mission. In fact, secretly, she almost dreaded losing Dilandau, who seemed her guardian angel these past few days. When he was gone, who would stand by her side? Allen was too distant to feel as she did, too old to understand, too noble to comprehend all that she'd been through, too blind to see that she was unhappy in the life of a noblewoman. Who else could possibly imagine what she felt? Her slayers. Jajuka. Folken. All dead. Who was left to protect her?

Dilandau. 

You seem to be lingering on thoughts of the past. Why? He demanded one evening, as he sat leaning against a tree and playing with the knife. And why do you keep thinking about Folken? Was there something between you two that I should know about? Not wanting her thoughts to be analyzed, she shot back,

//Why do you keep thinking of ways to kill Van? Folken is no more your business than Refina is mine. Don't bother me, keep to your own half.// He laughed at that, tossing another log on the fire.

My half? I'm just borrowing space here til I get my own place. I'll pay the rent later when I've got the connections I need. They both laughed, and then fell silent for a bit, each lost in their own thoughts, though their minds were on similar tracks.

//Where will you go?// He shrugged both mentally and physically, staring at the flames that ate the charred remains of the bramble he'd assembled.

Wherever Fate takes me, I suppose. Besides, even if I knew, I wouldn't be able to tell you, or you might tell Allen and then where would I be?

//I wouldn't! Do you honestly think I'd tell Allen where you are after all this trouble I'm going through? You've got another thing coming if you think I'm going to back out now. We've come too far, and I'm not leaving with a job unfinished.// He smiled to himself, quietly admitting,

"You'd have been a fine slayer. Too bad I was using the body at the time, you could've been big." Impishly, she grinned inside.

//Who says I won't run away? When you find me, I'll say, 'I ran away to join the Dragonslayers, Sir!' It worked for Gatti, so why wouldn't it work for me?//

Because I didn't offer Gatti a position because he came up to me, he earned it by beating Torin into a bloody pulp. Torin's loss was Gatti's gain, and I had a better third in command because of it. Besides, if you really want to leave, you can go with me now. I'm inviting you to take up a new life- though I didn't say you'd make the cut to being a slayer. You might have the guts, but not the means- remember? You had to have "The Demon" protect you from harm on this little fiasco. Despite that, I don't think you really care about any of the dangers we're in, do you? Don't try to deny the fact that you're enjoying this little camping excursion. I know you better than that, Celena. She sniffed, 'hmphing' and began playing with her hair.

//I never said I didn't. I admit it, I like being away from the maids, the manicured gardens, the responsibilities, the-//

hair spray addict.

//-constant need for proper etiquette, and don't call Allen a hair spray addict! He likes looking his best, and I know someone else here who obsesses over his appearance as well. But you know what I love the most about this trip?//

What?

//The pants.//

  
  


Van gazed up at the Mystic Moon from the roof of his quarters, quietly whispering to a memory of times gone by. "Hitomi... I wonder how you're doing...? I'm worried about Allen's sister, she's run off again and it looks like she's pulled it off this time. Allen's frantic, and Merle left to help him search. I think Dilandau is helping her, somehow. And... She took it- I don't know how, since I never take it off. Somehow, she got it and left a note saying she'd return it when she got back. Dilandau has corrupted her- I pray the sorcerers can destroy the demon!! The kingdom of Cyriell in the south is beginning to falter, and Zaibach is still too advanced for us to completely trust their council. The world is just as bloodstained as when you left, only now I don't have you to help me. And the advisors want an heir to the throne, as a safeguard in the upcoming war that everyone knows is coming. I need time to sit and think of a strategy. Sigh.... What would you do, Hitomi?"

"Speaking to ghosts of the past, Your Majesty?" Van started and looked behind him, where a man (a little older than his Brother would have been, had he not died 2 years ago) stood, garbed in hues of blue and orange- a sign that he was one of the sorcerers who had fled to seek sanctuary in Cyriell. Van stood, looking the man over with a critical eye. He didn't seem menacing, in fact, he looked gentle and kindhearted. But the stories he had heard from Allen as Celena came forward with more horrendous tales of what the sorcerers had done made him shiver, despite his attempt to be polite. They had summoned the man, after all. The ex-sorcerer bowed before him, smiling softly. "I am Rusent Mirrin, ex-sorcerer of Zaibach and now chief advisor to his majesty, Lord Kaedrin of Cyriell. I was told that you were in need of my skill as a healer, as an old... patient has had some problems as of late." Van shivered again, but nodded curtly.

"That's correct. The Lady Celena Schezar, whom I'm sure you know has much need of your help." The sorcerer nodded, scowling for a moment. Van was glad to see that even the creators of Dilandau didn't like him that much- surely they had some sense in them. The sorcerer sighed, straightening himself.

"Yes... I daresay she does need some aid, and quickly. All reports said that Dilandau had died, so we'd assumed that meant the Lady Schezar had passed away as well. So, he's beginning to reemerge after all this time has passed. Interesting..." The sorcerer seemed to ponder this for a moment, then looked back at the young king. "I will need to speak to the lady herself, Lord Van. Is she within?" Van fidgeted, embarrassed. 

"Not at the moment. She... well, she's run away." The sorcerer laughed, a low, soft chuckle.

"That sounds like something Dilandau would do. Have you any idea where he might be heading?" 

"The last time anyone saw Celena was nearly a week ago at the start of the festival. I would go myself, were I not bound to stay and keep appearances for my people. I believe she was headed in the direction of Freid, towards the old ruins*." The sorcerer's countenance darkened for a second.

"He hasn't lost his acuity; he's smart enough to know what he needs to do and where to go, and how to stay out of sight. The power spot, hm? So, he wants to use the power of the Gods to grant wishes... I wonder if it's possible, in his state, and with what was added in the process.... My young King, I must withdraw to my rooms and think over what you have said to me. If Dilandau is indeed heading towards the ancient ruins, he must be stopped before he draws upon the power of the Gods. Not only might he hurt Lady Schezar, he might upset Gaia's already teetering balance. A repeat of the tragic war two years ago would not be healthy for her healing wounds and scarred soils. If I may be so bold as to advise you, my lord, I would go after him tonight. There is no telling what harm his actions might cause to our planet- I do not trust him, he had always been unbalanced, but I'm sure that with the conflicting persona's of Celena and Dilandau, there will be chaos. Besides, it would be better if the two worlds did not mix again, for they destroyed the fate that was already set in motion before, and Gaia cannot stand another fate alteration at that scale. It would be catastrophic." Van stood rigid, thoughts whirling through his mind. Hitomi? He'd see Hitomi again? Dilandau wanted to summon her to grant his wishes, and free him from Celena and their half life. Would Van stop him, at the risk of losing his last chance to see Hitomi again? 

"Sorcerer Rusent, I will consider your words. I thank you for coming so quickly and willingly. The servants will show you to your rooms, I pray that you have a restful evening. I have much to think upon myself, so if you would, please leave me to my thoughts." The sorcerer withdrew, a hint of a smile upon his face. Van did not see it; he was too busy trying to sort out his thoughts and conquer the emotions that were tossing in his stomach. He looked up at the mystic moon, shining brightly, then headed to his rooms to leave a note to the advisors to make an excuse that he would not feel well for the next few days. Then, he went to go pay his respects to the dead and the sleeping Dragons....

  
  


******

  
  


"Hitomi! Hitomi!! HITOMI!!!" The girl who had been staring out the window turned, bright green eyes falling upon the sparkling eyes of her companion. She frowned, stretching languidly back in her chair.

"What is it, Yuki? Something happen?" Yukari sat down exasperated, pushing away loose strands of hair as she excitedly waved a letter in front of Hitomi's face. The green eyes tried to read what was on the paper, but couldn't make out the tiny writing as it moved violently back and forth. The letter was shoved into Hitomi's hands excitedly, and Yukari spoke rapidly as Hitomi glanced over the contents of the letter.

"Amano is coming back for his senior year! His parents are tired of him getting sick all the time in England, so they're moving back! Isn't that great???" Hitomi allowed a smirk to emerge.

"What, that Amano is coming back, or that he gets sick all the time? I'm only kidding, Yuki, it's great news. Don't look at me like that!" She was receiving death glares from the red head, and she couldn't help but let out a laugh, standing up and putting her books in her bag. So much for cramming for their math test tomorrow. But it meant that Yuki would be happy, and Amano would be happy, and the new captain of the track team would be happy as well. Would she be happy? Of course, she was great friends with Amano and Yuki, so she'd be happy to see them happy. But ever since Yuki and Amano had entered their long distance relationship, Hitomi couldn't help but think back on what she had lost- and would probably never see again. It's not like He could hop on an airplane and show up at her door with a bouquet of flowers, or type emails with the latest news, or send her mail about how he was sick again, or just call to talk when he was down or lonely. Her ability to contact him was nonexistent- telephones hadn't been invented on Gaia yet, and the long distance bill would have been atrocious anyway. Hitomi smiled softly to herself, imagining what they would say to each other if they could talk together, even just to say goodbye again. She yelped as she was pulled out the door by an exuberant Yukari, and she had to jog as the girl ran through the doors of the school and down the sidewalk as though it was the last day of school.

"C'mon, Hitomi!!We've gotta plan!! It's only three days away!!" Hitomi pulled her hand away, panting lightly and pulling her bag higher onto her shoulder.

"What's only three days away? Yuki, do you remember that we have a Calc test tomorrow?" Yuki sighed, tapping her foot. 

"You didn't listen to anything I told you in there, did you? Amano is going to be coming back in three days!! He wanted to make it a surprise, but his little sister got on the phone and told me. So, we're gonna throw a party for him! Are you in?" Hitomi, smiled, putting a hand no her friend's shoulder.

"Of course, Yuki, you know I'd never miss anything like thi-"

*Help us*

Hitomi stopped short, looking around. The street was vacant, save for the girls and a few other students. "Did you hear something?"

Yukari glanced over her shoulder, obviously still too excited to notice the tremor in Hitomi's voice. "No, why? What'd you hear?" Hitomi walked behind her friend, silent for a moment.

(Van, is that you?) No response. She'd just imagined it. She shook her head and forced herself to laugh, catching up to her friend again. 

"Nothing! Never mind!"

*******

"Dammit all to fucking Hell!! That bloody harlot, ignoring me like that!" Dilandau began to spout every curse word he ever knew, describing the Mystic Moon girl in a very unflattering way. "I knew we were too far away, but NO! We HAD to try NOW!" I had to admit, I wanted to use the same words he was using, only directed at him instead of Hitomi. However, I calmed myself down before answering him, speaking softly, since I had the body at the moment. 

"That's not true, Dilandau. She heard us- couldn't you feel her stop? The reason why she didn't respond was because SOMEONE decided to interrupt me while I was trying to concentrate!" He didn't reply, but went off to his 'corner' to sulk. I didn't mind, we were both testy, being so close to our goal and yet not getting any response except a gasp. We'd tried several times, but nothing had happened until our last, joint effort. As soon as we'd gotten a response, Dilandau had taken over and the connection was lost. He shifted in my mind, then his voice spoke softly in the recesses of my mind.

"Get some rest. We'll make the last leg to the ruins tonight, after some rest. We can't have the body completely exhausted when we try to summon the girl- something may go wrong and then all we'll have are the sorcerers. And I know you don't want to see them any more than I do." I know I shivered, despite the heat in this hot and sandy place. It was mid-afternoon, growing towards evening, and the temperature was blazing. Allen had always liked warm weather, but I'd preferred the cooler temperatures. Fire was nice, but the humid heat of the desert-like area was not. I curled up by one of the larger rocks, willing myself to sleep for several hours in the shade, trying to escape the tormenting heat. I think, had | realized how very close Allen was to us, Dilandau would have forced us to go on, despite the body's exhaustion. The horses were tired, I was tired, and Dilandau was tired. Sleep seemed to be the best option, and I gladly succumbed to the darkness and dreams that I shared with Dilandau.

******************

"Have you ever regretted something, Hitomi? I mean, so much it hurts?" Yuki sat on the Kanzaki's back porch next to the hostess of the night's earlier party. They were sharing some time together as Amano talked inside with the last of the guests who were preparing to leave, staring up at the stars and saying nothing. Hitomi didn't respond to the question at first, she continued to stare at the moon. Then, sighing, she laid back on the recliner, propping her feet up on the rails of the porch. 

"Regret? Yeah, I have." Yuki looked startled, watching her friend's face closely. Then it dawned on her, and she felt pity and envy for the girl who had such wonderful dreams, be they true or fantasies. She was almost sure that Hitomi believed them to be true, but she rarely spoke about them anymore. Mostly, she busied herself with exams and school, work and sports. Yuki knew that something had happened, but she wasn't sure she believed it, despite the fact that she had seen the beam of light with her own eyes. The story was so intense, so inredible, how could anyone in their right mind believe it? The only ones who really believed her all the way was her mother, and her father because her mother was so adamant about supporting her. Hitomi was different since the incident, but she was still the same fun-loving girl Yuki had taken as her best friend. Yuki sprawled out on the recliner next to her best friend's.

"You're talking about that dream you had, right? The one with the guy in it? What do you regret about that?" Hitomi sighed, wondering if Van was looking at the same moon she was at the same moment. A smile lit her face.

"I sometimes regret not slapping him for some of the things he said. I regret yelling at him when he did something stupid, for not apologizing to him for all the things I said, and not saying all the things I wanted to say. I think that's what I regret the most. Not telling him." Yukari almost asked what it was she'd wanted to tell him so badly, but saw the misting in Hitomi's eyes and decided against it. She sighed, and stared at the stars that twinkled above.

"Heh. Here I was going to say I regretted eating that last piece of cake. I think I gained five pounds." The girls chuckled, and a soft, low voice called from within the house.

"What're you girls doing? Telling stories again? Or gawking at the stars?" Yuki sat up and threw the head cushion from the recliner at the boy standing in the door frame.

"Don't laugh, Amano! We threw a party for you, at least be grateful and pretend to be nice to us!!" The young man caught the pillow and tossed it back to her, sitting down on the other half of the recliner.

"Yeah, about the party. Thanks a lot, it was really great to see everyone again. You've all outdone yourself again, and I appreciate the lengths you've gone to. Makes a guy feel loved, you know?" Yuki giggled and threw her arms around him, making them both fall flat as the recliner went down to full extend. Hitomi laughed as they tried to untangle themselves from the frame and cushions.

"C'mon guys, get a room, you know?" They both threw her dirty looks, and Yuki attempted to pull her down with them, but ended up upsetting the chair again, and they both fell back to the ground. Hitomi half listened as they chided each other in clumsiness, picking themselves up stiffly and sitting back on the chair. A chill wind swept the air, and an odd feeling tugged at her stomach, bringing back a flood of memories. Visions? 

She looked around, trying to see what the vision might be, but saw only the two lovebirds beside her bantering and her parents cleaning up some of the mess inside. Her little brother, Hyima, playing video games in the living room. *Then why does everything feel so odd?* A quiet murmuring came to her attention, and words whispering of Fate and destruction came to her ears. She strained harder to hear what they said, but a forceful voice overrode the quiet mutters.

Help us

*Van? Is that you?*

Help us. You're our last hope.

*Who is this? Van? What do you want?*

Save us

*What have you done with Van?? Where is he? What's going on?* A cold fear gripped Hitomi's heart. How could they be talking to her? Only Van had been able to, but that was when the pendant had power left over from it's role in the Great War. It was only able to work when Fate had been tampered with. Did that mean that something was happening on Gaia? But what?

We are in need of your help. Come and save us. Then, suddenly, the voice changed to a softer, more urgent tone.

Please, you must help us! There is no one else we can trust! The sorcerers are after us! Please, help us, Lady Hitomi of the Mystic Moon. You can grant wishes. Please, save us, our time grows short! Hitomi listened to the frantic voice, and rubbed her head in pain. Memories she'd tried to forget welled up inside her, filling her with dread, fear, and determination. She stood, surprising her two friends who hadn't stopped talking, and walked into the living room. She found herself face to face with her parents and her little brother, controller still in tow. Her mother smiled sadly as Yukari and Amano filed in behind her daughter.

"Hitomi, you know what you have to do. We'll miss you terribly, and it won't be easy, but we believe in you. Do what you must." Hitomi's eyes filled with tears.

"Mom, Dad, I.... I...." Hitomi's mother came over and held her close.

"Hush, my daughter. Your grandmother once told me that I would have to let you live your own life, and even as you came in, I knew what you were going to say. Hitomi, we love you, but don't let us hold you back. It is your decision." Hitomi sobbed on her mother's shoulder while her father embraced them both. Hyima stood watching, not sure what to make of the whole ordeal. Yuki and Amano stood still as well, not understanding what was going on. Yuki was about to ask what she'd missed when Hitomi pulled away and ran up the stairs, still crying. Yuki turned to ask what on earth was going on, but only received the vague reply that they had already talked about it once before, and it was Hitomi's choice to go or stay. A thought about the sanity in Hitomi's family ran through Yuki's mind, but she kept the comment to herself as Hitomi came down the stairs, bag in tow. 

She'd changed outfits, now sporting a calf-length dress, one of her favourites. Yuki stared, then blurted out," You're leaving?? What on earth is going on, Hitomi? Will someone please explain??" Hitomi and her family walked out into the backyard, leaving the two to either follow or wait inside. Hitomi turned to the group, tears still in her eyes, but a smile on her face. 

"I... I love you all, with all my heart, but... I'm needed on Gaia. Please, don't forget how much I love you!" She ran to her family and for the next few minutes, they passed small words of love and promises, tears and hugs. Hitomi then turned to her friends. "Yuki, Amano... I'm sorry. We've just gotten together again, and now, I'm leaving. We won't be having another reunion for a long time, but I'll look forward to seeing you again. Please, don't forget all the great times we've had! I... I'll miss you both!"

"Hitomi... You're going to see him, aren't you?" Hitomi smiled sadly, and nodded. Yuki smiled back, through tears.

"Well, then, don't forget to tell him! And don't forget us.... Promise me, k? Promise you'll take care of yourself." Hitomi ran over to give her two friends tight hugs, then gave her family one more for the last time. 

"Goodbye, everyone! I'll miss you! Please, don't forget how much I love you!!" A beam of light cut off the rest of her words, and she vanished into the night stars. That was the last time Hitomi Kanzaki ever laid foot on Earth. 

********************* 

Allen was, in fact, only a few hours ride from the two, despite their attempt to flee quickly. He had better horses, better gear, and his body didn't have to keep shifting from male to female and back again. So, as it was, despite his rough start and bad hangover incident, he and the cat girl made good time. Merle got more and more excited as she began to see signs of the two, and as their scent became stronger and stronger. She urged the knight on, towards the bumps on the horizon that were in fact the old ruins they'd visited two year ago to stop Zaibach from receiving the power of Atlantis. Allen prayed that they would not fail in this endeavor as well, and followed the cat girl where she led him. Evening was falling, and there seemed to be an eery glowing above the ruins. Allen tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach, thinking only of holding Celena close when she was found. He was brought out of his reverie when he thought he heard something, and looked in the sky to see what looked like a lone dragon on patrol. He hoped that it wasn't hungry, but it seemed intent on reaching its destination quickly. It circled the ruins several times before flying off, and began to circle the area again. Allen began to sweat. Was it searching for them as an easy snack? The dragon was forgotten, however, when a brilliant bluish white beam of light came to the ground, illuminating the night sky before disappearing just as quickly. Without saying a thing, Allen and Merle urged the horses to a gallop, their destination within sight.

  
  


~~~~

"Come to us-"

"Mystic Moon Maiden-"

"And grant our wishes. Destroy-"

"Those who dare to-"

"Try to destroy-"

"Us. Go to the White-"

"Dragon and destroy-"

"The only evidence to get away. The fallen angel, and the ascended Demon."

"They must-"

"Not-"

"Succeed."

A low chanting filled the room, and the four shadowy figures chanted of life and death, Victory and defeat, Fate and slavery. A brilliant white light leapt from their circle, shooting off in the direction of the ancient ruins of the Draconians. Their spell had succeeded, now they had but to sit back and watch the newly created destiny of Gaia to play out.

~~~~~~~~

  
  


They stood in the shadows, not revealing themselves at first. They wanted to get a good look at the girl they'd just summoned somehow or another, and though she looked harmless, she was still not of Gaia and therefore something to watch closely. Dilandau whispered in their thoughts,

Be careful. Remember, she was one of the reasons why the war broke out. Dornkirk was batty enough to think she was powerful, so we'd best be careful Celena said nothing, she simply watched the girl with intense blue eyes. The girl seemed lost, apparently she'd been waiting for someone at the other end.

Won't she be surprised? Dilandau chuckled, but still, Celena remained silent. 

"Van...? Van, are you there? Van, answer me! Van!" The girl was different since they'd last seen her- Dilandau had a better memory of her since Celena was still hazy from recovering her body and mind. The girl was a little taller, her hair was down to her shoulders, and she's rounded out in places that Van would be sure to appreciate if he saw her. She stood tall and elegant in her dress, but she seemed to be nervous about the silence. 

"VAN!"

"He did not summon you, Hitomi of the Mystic Moon. We did." Celena stepped into the moonlight, allowing the soft glow to fall upon her features. Hitomi took a step back, then stopped when she recognized who it was.

"Celena? Is that you? What are you doing here? Where is Allen? Did he come here with you?" Celena shook her head, cloak drawn close about her. 

"No, Brother does not know I am here. WE summoned you here, Hitomi. We need your help." Hitomi looked at her oddly, still not understanding.

"..We..?"

"You can grant our wish. We can be free, and then we can help heal Gaia once we are properly split." Hitomi gasped and took several more steps back.

"No! You can't mean-!!" She fell over a tree root as she backed away, and landed on the ground rather unceremoniously. Dilandau took over the body for a minute and gave the girl a feral grin. Hitomi screamed, and sprinted off over the rough terrain. Celena regained control over the body, however, and quickly caught up with her, grabbing her wrist.

"I', sorry, he shouldn't have done that. Do you see whyt I want to be rid of him?"

I resent that comment, Cele-

" What can I do to help? I'm just a normal teenager." Celena smiled softly, still holding onto the girl's arm, but loosening her grip.

"You understand how Fate works. The only others to have this knowledge are the sorcerers, and they will do all they can to destroy Dilandau, and perhaps even myself. We are a mistake, you see. We weren't supposed to keep our two minds intact when they transferred Dilandau's essence into my body. We were supposed to merge. But we didn't. We need your help, Please, I ask- no, I beg of you, please help us. Let us have our own lives, our own fates." Hitomi looked surprised, and a bit overwhelmed.

"I... I... I don't know what I can do... I just saw things and they happened! I didn't want them to happen, I just-!!"

"HITOMI!!!!" A large beast circled overhead, and Van jumped from the back of the Escaflowne to jump in front of Celena and Hitomi. Dilandau, not wanting to lose the upperhand, took form and grabbed the bewildered girl, holding her close with the knife to her throat.

"Van....." He seethed, snarling the word as though it were poison. He held Hitomi closer, making the girl gasp and struggle. He ignored the shouts of Celena, and grinned at Van who stood in front of him, sword drawn, but hesitant. "Van, stay out of this! If you value the life of the girl in my hands, you will not come closer! This is not your battle, but one Celena and myself must do against Fate. Don't try to stop us, we will have the Fate we were supposed to have!!" Hitomi squirmed at that moment, causing Dilandau to shift slightly. Celena quickly took control again, releasing Hitomi to shout at Dilandau.

"NO! This is NOT how we will receive our freedom! Dilandau, we have to show them we deserve it!" He snarled something, and over-rode Celena, his bloodlust for Van overpowering her wish for peace. He lunged at Van, knife drawn and teeth bared. He had moved into a trap, and he was forced to squirm under the unrelenting embrace of Allen. He screamed in fury, and tried to tear away from Allen, but the knight refused to release him. He almost faltered when the form changed into the smaller form of Celena, who shouted just as much as Dilandau. But while he was screaming bloody murder and threatening Van within his bondage, Celena cried out not to send Hitomi back before she helped them. They continued to struggle for several minutes, until, already tired from their long and arduous journey, the body collapsed and Celena fell in a heap into her brother's awaiting arms. She whispered to him, "I'm sorry, Brother..." Before her thoughts faded into darkness. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


*"The old ruins"- I can't for the life of me remember what they called the powerspot. Was it Godashim? Lemme know if you know, k? Sappy parts, ne? Oh well ,I'll rewrite it later.. Also, Sorry this was so late, I've had college stuff to do, midterms to prepare for, essays to write, a portfolio to beef up, and several pieces of prose to work on. Hopefully, I won't have much to do after I'm done applying to colleges, and once I've gotten the scholarships I need . Oh, you all might be happy to know that the second part of TTG is in the works, but the romance section is still up in the air as to the pairing, and I need a better title... Another reason why this was late is 'cause I added about three pages, making this chapter 10 pages long... If you're interested in seeing the titles to the other chapters, I have a part of my site dedicated to this fic : 

http://rainbowshell.com/Writings/Through_the_GlassTP.htm

Anyways, sorry again, enjoy, review, you know the deal ^_^ ~SLS~*


	8. Visions of Betrayal

  
  


*giggle*

APRIL FOOLS!!

*I have to say, it made me feel guilty reading your reviews, and I apologize for my joke. For those of you who're thinking "It's not April 1, dammit!!" you're absolutely right. However, if you look after my ~SLS~ thing, you'll see the date 4-01-02 I tried 7 times to download the message on Monday, and it didn't work. I finally got it to load, however, and so I posted it. Why? It was to make people get anxious for what lay ahead, also, I wanted to see if people really were reading this, or if I was just posting for my health. If I made any of you angry, upset, disheartened, happy, put you off your feed, or in any way ruined your day, I'm sorry. I hope this chapter makes up for any sleep you might've lost on my account. 13 pages long, I think this is my fav chapter yet, with a nice twist ending. Please note, however, that the rating has gone up because of some violence and Dilly being a potty-mouth! ^_^ I know you're all anxious to kill me/ read the story, but I want to take this moment in the spotlight to thank these people for writing such touching reviews. They actually brought tears to my eyes, I didn't know so many people looked forward to this!! 

*Rayven Blackwood* Thank you for the compliments, your's being the first of the bunch, I want to say I really DO appreciate what everyone writes, and I'm glad you decided to read more, and not just say 'hey, good story, keep it up' like some other people do. 

*Pyro Nynja ()* Again, thank you! I'm hoping it won't take me three years to get this story done, however, with the sequel in the works still, it might be a while... think you can wait for me? As for some of my other stories TOW ... we'll have to see.

*Geniusgirl* I'm going to leave you hanging again with this chapter, sorry. Don't worry, the next and final, sniff is going to be great, I promise!!

*Ori* I'm sorry I let you down by not posting every day *hangs head in shame* Here, have a Chesta cookie!! *pats Ori-chan on the head* Thanks for letting me know I'm not the only one who checks out other people's stories everyday for updates *coughcoughZIBBELCOOTcoughcough*! 

And last but not at all least: 

*Dreamshades!!* Happy Birthday, Nita-chan!!! I changed the ending, see?? I like it better this way, and I think everyone'll agree!! The first signs of romance show through I the second to last chapter!! Yaaaaaaaaaay!! ... wait, how does that work, you say? Simple!! The Sequel, "Reflections of the Heart" !! Coming soon to fanfiction.net......... or eventually, anwyays.

  
  


So there you all have it. Please don't hurt me, I've already been asphyxiated by several other friends I played my little joke on. My little blurg done, you can hate me, love, me, or you can have already skipped the intro to read the next chapter:

  
  


Visions of Betrayal

  
  


Allen paced back and forth in the room, sending worried glances over to the figure that tossed and turned on the bed. First, Celena would cry out something, then Dilandau would finish the thought with a stream of curses, usually directed at Van, the Sorcerers, Adolfus, or humanity as a whole. Allen had been up the night after meeting the sorcerer who had been summoned, and stayed by his sister's side, trying to ease her obvious discomfort and regain his own composure. It was hard for him, considering his little sister kept changing into a boy he'd tried to kill countless times, a boy who had spoken his name with disgust and hatred, when his sister had been underneath the whole time. So close, and yet he never knew... What disturbed him most, however, was when he couldn't tell if it was Celena or Dilandau on the bed- they looked so alike it was if they'd been merged into one being. Allen sank into one of the chairs by the bed, sighing and running his fingers through his hair absently. After the sorcerer had come to see Celena, he had mentioned something that had worried her brother to no end. From what he could understand of the technical terms used, they were in danger of throwing the other out of balance; basically whichever was stronger would be allowed to keep control of the body. Procedures had to commence immediately, but the sorcerer needed to know how far they had transgressed. If they were not separated quickly, he could lose his little sister again, this time forever, and all that would be left of her would be that demon. Could he allow Dilandau to live? He was a shadow of his little sister; the darker nature she would have never shown. A demon, bloodthirsty and ruthless, tamed by none. And yet, he was like Celena. Could Allen destroy the monster that had a little bit of his sister in him? And what about Celena? Could he kill Dilandau even though Celena wanted him safe? The knight of Caeli sighed and did the only thing he could; he held his sister's hand while she slept, praying and hoping that she would be alright. 

  
  


His thoughts wandered to musings, and he absently wondered what Hitomi and Van were doing at that moment. He stopped this thought immediately, however; one, because it was still a sore spot that the young king had won her heart, and two, because he had a feeling he knew exactly what they were doing, and he didn't want images like that in his head at a time like this. He then thought on his son, and wondered what the young boy would think when he knew of his aunt's secret. He would find out- news of the girl from the Mystic Moon's return had spread like wildfire, despite attempts to quiet them. The boy knew his true father, but he did not know about where his aunt Celena had been during the war. Celena and Allen had agreed that it would be better for the young boy to think she had been a hostage of Zaibach, and thathis adopted father's death had long since had revenge, the murderer dead. Allen's gaze shifted back into focus when he realized his sister was awake, and looking at him. He caught her gaze, and she turned from him, avoiding his eyes. Neither spoke for several minutes, then Celena, still staring out the window over the Fanelian rooftops, said softly, 

  
  


"Don't be angry with me, Brother" He let go of his breath, not even realizing he'd been holding it, and moved onto the bed, picking her up and holding her tightly to his chest.

"I'm not angry with you, Celena, far from it. I wish there was something I could do to help you, I feel as though I've let you down! I feel as though I've caused you nothing but grief, and when I try to do something for you, it only makes things worse. I'm the one who's sorry, Celena. I've tried to make everything better, but I just seem to be hurting you..." He trailed off, bitter sorrow in his voice, and she couldn't help but smile and hold him tightly to her, just as he held her. He was trying to be so strong, but it was so difficult for him, with her trying his every command and Dilandau re-appearing to jolt his already frazzled nerves. Not to mention Hitomi returning for who knew how long; Celena knew that he still had feelings for the girl, but was willing to admit defeat once again. Hitomi might care for him still, though both Celena and Allen knew that the girl's heart was taken by Van. 

Celena was surprised when this thought made her wonder if she would ever find anyone who could love her like Van loved Hitomi. She quickly brushed it aside, hoping Dilandau wouldn't have noticed it so he wouldn't make fun of her later. Who could love her, after all she had done- after all she had been? After discovering whose body it was that had housed the spirit of the Dragonslayer captain? She tightened her grip on Allen's shirt, clutching at the only kind of love she'd ever known and cherishing his comfort. Her brother was both her protector and her cager, the only one who might try to understand. Dilandau would be gone- she had to be strong so that when he was gone she wouldn't feel so alone. But she knew she would; Dilandau was someone she had grown to like- not love like a brother, for who could love what he had been?- but she didn't hate him as others did, in fact, she felt better knowing he was there for her. She gave a weak laugh, making Allen look at her oddly. She was a lady that none would have, and Dilandau was a demon no one would survive to keep. 'We were made for each other,' she thought bitterly. 'No one wants either of us.' Allen, unaware of her thoughts, sighed softly, and she raised herself up higher to squeeze him with all her might. She froze midway, then cowered behind Allen's form, trying to hide herself as best she could, and not lose control.

//Oh God, Dilandau, please wake up. He's here, I can't keep him away by myself, God Dilandau wake up!! Don't' leave me alone with him! Please Dilandau!! Don't Leave me alone!!// Her mind screamed in fear, even as the sorcerer stepped into the room softly, a light smile on his face. Allen, who had sensed his sister's fear, turned and straightened as Sorcerer Rusent put down a tray with a glass and pitcher. Rusent put the tray down on the table next to the bed, and looked down at her with an almost gentle look on his face. She cringed back into Allen even further at the sight, trying to keep the memories of the past from resurfacing. Something stirred within, and she could do nothing but remember the first time she'd seen a sorcerer with that same smile on his face. 

  
  


** "What are you doing with her? Why wasn't I told of any of this? I was told that the procedure would not be ready for another month at least!" The sorcerer glared at the Dog-man, keeping his hands hidden within the dark recesses of the cloak's folds. Celena, not able to even begin to fathom the effect this day would have on her, sat silently on a bench in the garden where Jajuka had been telling her stories. The men in dark cloaks had come with several soldiers while he'd been telling her a rather funny story about a magic carpet and ghost that had been trapped in an enchanted lamp. Jajuka had seen them and stopped suddenly, standing and trying to shield her from view. The man who had spoken to Jajuka first looked at her and smiled softly at her, as though they shared a secret and that he knew she wouldn't tell anyone of their private joke. She looked at him for a minute, then returned the smile, though she remained where she was. Jajuka had always told her to be quiet and do as she was told when the sorcerers were there, but none of the men had ever smiled at her like this before. Maybe this sorcerer wouldn't be taking her back for another "test", another one of those stinging needles or nasty liquids they made her drink. Maybe he would tell her she'd been a good girl, and that she'd have a treat. Maybe they'd brought Brother, so that they could play hide and seek like before! Her smile grew to a grin, and the sorcerer's smile grew as well. Jajuka, seeing the change in the man's demeanor, looked down at her, an almost panicked look on his soft face. 

"Celena, run." The sorcerer's smile turned to a sneer as the slave spoke softly to the little girl. Celena's own smile disappeared, uncomprehending. How could Jajuka tell her to leave, when this sorcerer would take her to her brother? She kept her blue eyes on the Dog-man, unsure as of what to do. The sorcerer who had smiled looked at her again.

"Celena, be a good girl and come with us." She shied away from his nasal voice, clutching at the rough tunic of her caretaker. The sorcerer looked annoyed, and straightened. "Celena, you were told to follow me. Have you forgotten what Jajuka told you? When we give you an order, you do as you're told. Do you understand?" She backed away again, hugging Jajuka's waist and feeling as though something was wrong, though she didn't know what. She looked up at Jajuka, who's usually docile and sweet face was a vision of fear, hatred, and worry. The sorcerer's smile returned, and several of the soldiers who had accompanied the sorcerer grabbed onto her wrist, pulling her away from the Dog-man. Jajuka gave a protest that sounded like a bark of surprise, but he too was restrained. Away, back into the cold and dark metallic halls of the compound, Celena was dragged by her arm by one of the soldiers. 

"Jajuka!! Help me!!" 

"CELENA!!" The canine -man roared in fury, throwing his assailants into the surrounding shrubbery of the garden and running into the hall. For a moment, Celena's heart soared- Jajuka reached out to grab her, but was forced back when a spear butt fell heavily across his back, throwing him to the ground in pain and surprise. Several other guards came out of adjoining halls, with poles to restrain the slave form reaching her. " NO! Don't take her!! CELENA!!!" Another blow across his back, blood was dripping out onto the floor and spreading like water from the fountain they'd been playing in together earlier that morning.

"NO! JAJUKA!" The dog-man groaned as he fell into unconsciousness; a guard had kicked him in the gut again and again for good measure. The sorcerer stepped over the still and bloody form of the slave, and Celena was once again pulled from Jajuka. The smile had never left his face.**

Her heart was racing, she panted and held onto Allen's sleeve for support. 

//God Dilandau... Help me....// She was going to faint, then she'd be at the mercy of the sorcerer. Allen was no protection from the man's lies and deceit- she had to run, she had to get away, she had to keep him from touching her and killing Dilandau, from doing anything to them again. She shoved Allen away from her, and scrambled out of bed, unsteady but standing. Allen stood, trying to get her back into bed, and the sorcerer went over to the table and poured out a small glass of what looked to be like some sort of fruit juice. //I won't drink it... I'll have to kill him, I won't let him have a chance at us again...How dare he try to touch me again....// She sat back on the bed again, her head throbbing and her stomach feeling sick. She wouldn't faint, she wouldn't be weak!! The sorcerer tried to give her the medicine, but she shook her head and looked away, pursing her lips tightly and pushing the glass away again and again. The sorcerer said something to Allen about it being for her own good, and to her horror, Allen gently put her hands in her lap, shaking his head and telling her to be good and drink it; he'd be right there, so don't worry. The sorcerer came near again, and her mind raced in fear. 

//Help me, Dilandau!! What do I do?? Dilandau??// The sorcerer tried again, and she shouted at him to get away. He frowned, and then made a grave mistake; he tried to force her to take it. 

//DILANDAU!!!// Even as the pain shot up in her hand, she could feel the room's frenzied fight subside and a silence took over the room. Rusent was standing several feet away, a hand to his cheek. The medicine cup lay shattered on the floor, its contents seeping into the expensive rug at the foot of the bed. Allen sat next to her, a look of horror on his face. She looked in the mirror, and saw why.

Cold, red, hating eyes looked back at her; her hair was a silvery hue, not quite as curly as usual. Dilandau, and yet not him. She stared at her reflection even as her features resumed their normal composition, though her heart beat wildly in her chest. 

What the fuck was all that about?? She almost cried out in relief as Dilandau's voice rasped through her mind as though he'd just awoken from a deep sleep. 

//Don't you ever leave me alone again, Dilandau!// 

Shit! Did that asshole try to hurt you?? I'll kill him!! Even as he 'spoke' those words, however, the sorcerer had picked up the cup and was on his way out of the room.

"I'll let you get some more rest, you're still very taxed from your ordeals. We will talk later, when you've fully recovered. I am glad to see you awake at last, Lady Celena." With that, he was gone from the room.

Allen, who had not spoken for several minutes, stared at his little sister. "Cel...Celena...?" His voice had an odd tone to it, and when she placed it, she bit her lip, wanting to cry. God, Allen was afraid of her- of HER! The only one who could really keep her safe was scared of her! How could she rely on him to keep the sorcerers away now?? She looked down at the sheets, ashamed, afraid, and anxious. 

"Don't let them touch us, Allen... Please, I think I'd rather kill myself than go through that again! Don't let them take me away again!! Don' let them hurt us!!" She cried out, and fell sobbing onto Allen's shoulder even as he fiercely held onto her.

"I won't let them hurt you, Celena! God, I'll never let them hurt you, don't think I'd let anyone do anything to harm you! I don't want to lose you again! You'll never be alone again!!" He tried to hug her again, but Dilandau pushed him away, wiping away the tears Celena had spilled.

"Don't touch me, Schezar! Get away!" Allen almost jumped out of his skin at the sound of the boy's voice, and he quickly stood to leave. 

"Fine." Allen picked up a chair to set outside the room, but a commanding and authoritive voice said,

"Don't leave me alone!!"

Allen paused and turned around, not believing what he'd just heard. Dilandau still sat on the bed, straight, grim looking and aloofly irritated. But in those red depths Allen saw the plea his sister had made so many times. **"Don't leave me alone, Brother! Allen! Please! Stay with me..."** As though he knew what the knight had seen, Dilandau lowered his gaze to the bedcovers, showing the first sign of deference Allen had ever seen in the boy.

"Please." A simple statement, and yet so much more. Dilandau trusted him-they'd been bitter enemies at one point, and yet he trusted him!! Allen blinked a few moments, but the boy didn't move and didn't appear to have plans to get up and slit his throat immediately, so he put the chair down again and sat, The rubies flickered up a moment, then returned to the bed. Allen could have sworn he saw a smile of relief, but quickly forgot the thought when the boy's demanding manner came through again.

"And get me something to wear- preferably not pink. This damn nightgown is itchy, why'd she have to choose one with so much lace??"

  
  
  
  


I know Allen has some trouble getting used to Dilandau appearing and disappearing in the days that followed. I have to admit, I can't really remember much of those few days when we were "recovering". I drifted in and out of consciousness, Dilandau taking over when I didn't have the strength to stay wake anymore. I found out the reason why we'd been "recovering" so long- but I'll get to that in a bit. The point is, when we were finally 'rested' enough, the sorcerer called for us- I mean Allen and me, since I refused to go anywhere near the sorcerer without him. And of course Dilandau- he was what one might call a captive audience. As Allen told me a week after we'd returned from the power spot and three nights since the encounter with the sorcerer, Rusent had asked to see us again. I instantly said no, but Dilandau said to think it over carefully before coming out and saying no immediately.

If you don't talk to the sorcerer with Allen in the safety of the palace, they'll just find a way to kidnap you, or convince Allen to letting them take you for a while. Besides, if we listen, we might be able to figure out what they have in mind, and then we'll know what we're up against. Trust me, Celena.

//I trust you//

I'd almost agreed with Allen to go meet with Rusent, but a thought struck me and I said, "No." Allen looked at me from across the table. We must have looked a pair- Allen, looking so neat in his uniform, then me, standing there in the outfit Allen, Dilandau and I had agreed upon. Allen wouldn't have me seen in anything other than a skirt, Dilandau flatly refused to wear anything pink, frilly, laced, highcut, stuffy, dressy, feminine, tight, hot, or in the form of a dress. I agreed with Dilandau more than Allen, so we compromised on an outfit similar to Queen Millerna's attire, only in blue rather than pink, and the overcoat was a bit longer. I wanted it in purple, but Dilandau wouldn't hear of it, so I went with the blue. 

Allen looked at me as I flat out refused to see the sorcerer, and seemed worried that Dilandau might have been come through. "Celena, I don't understand. You said that you would-"

"I said I would go with you to see the sorcerer, and I will. But I want Hitomi there as well. And Merle, if she'll come." Allen blinked as though I'd spoken in Atlantean, and tried to gather his thoughts.

"Why do you want-?"

"We brought Hitomi to Gaea to help us. I won't keep her out of a meeting that she could be of some use. And Merle should be there because I want her to be. I refuse to go unless they're there." We argues for a bit, but in the end, my demands won out. I'm not sure if it was because Allen was so desperate for me to speak with the sorcerer, or because he thought it would be better if there were more people there to make me calmer, but in the end, he agreed to my 'request', and later that afternoon, we found ourselves in a quiet study with the sorcerer, Merle, Hitomi and Van. Though Dilandau grumbled at the thought of Van being there, Van refused to let Hitomi leave his sight, and she in turn refused to be kept out of the meeting. So, there was an awkward silence for a long while after the servants had left tea for us and closed the doors. I reminded Dilandau again that he was not to go after Van at any point in the meeting, and Dilandau repeated a promise I'd made him say over and over again that he 'would not attack, threaten, maim, bite, scratch, burn, or do any bodily or mental harm to Van'. I told him he could curse as much as he wanted, and glowering was permitted as well. He wasn't happy, but he didn't complain as much afterwards.

I noticed with some bemusement that the sorcerer seemed uncomfortable with all the company, to which Dilandau replied:

Good. Let the bugger be nervous. Actually, he used a very long string of curses to describe the sorcerer, but I'll let you fill in the blanks with your own imaginations. I must have let out some of my smirk, though, because 'Rusent' cleared his throat and began his 'examination'.

"Well, then , Ms Schezar, how are you feeling today?" 

Don't tell him anything that you don't have to. Remember, he may call himself a healer, but he's a very dangerous healer. So just repeat what I say and-

//For God's sakes, Dilandau, I'm not an idiot. I don't need you telling me what to do and say. I have lots of things I want to say to him, but I don't think I can or I'll get in trouble with Allen. I owe my extensive vocabulary to you, I might add, although I don't think Jajuka would approve anymore than-//

Quiet, he's staring at us. Sure enough, the room was quiet and everyone was looking at me expectantly. I could feel myself flush as I realized they'd been waiting for me to respond to a question I must have missed, so I answered the one I had heard with false bravado, though a bit curtly, I admit.

  
  


"I'm very well, Sorcerer, thank you." Rusent looked at me with those piercing blue eyes of his, and I could feel both myself and Dilandau squirm under their gaze. He frowned, saying, 

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!" I was surprised he didn't jump back, but it wasn't Dilandau's reply- or at least, not entirely. I didn't need him to put a sting in my reply; my hatred for the sorcerers was as deep as his, though I might not have let my emotions show as much as Dilandau. The Sorcerer nodded stupidly, however, and wrote something down on his tablet. I had a brief memory flashback of Dilandau doing an impression of the sorcerers in his youth- he'd stolen a cloak from one of the apprentices, and had paraded about in it, muttering under his breath about Fate and being bald. The other boys in the bunker had found it hilarious, and the entire bunker was abuzz with merriment until a very stern apprentice Folken had found Dilandau poring over 'a fate alteration experiment' in the robe. Gatti's socks, which they'd been trying to fate-alter not to smell so badly anymore, had been held suspended over the fireplace while Dilandau 'experimented' and wrote things down on a tablet. Folken had been sent to figure out why the lights were still on in that section, and the socks had been dropped by accident into the fire, causing it to sputter and catch the rug on fire. The boys who had taken the punishment along with Dilandau would later become some of his top ranking Dragonslayers, and from time to time a joke about Gatti's Fate-altered socks would be mentioned. I smiled fondly at the memory Dilandau had sent to me, making the sorcerer in front of me raise an eyebrow, but he continued his talk all the same.

"Ms Schezar, your brother and Lord Van say that you've been having dreams of Dilandau, and that you had no prior knowledge of him before that. Since you now know more of your fusing with Dilandau, have you had any other dreams of him, or perhaps memories that weren't yours?"

Play the fool, Celena. He's trying to trick you into- I ignored Dilandau's irritating blather, and spoke for myself.

"Yes." The sorcerer nodded again and scribbled as Dilandau cursed at both of us.

What do you think you're doing?? Play dumb!! Don't answer his questions!! Celena, I swear, sometimes you can be so-

//Shut UP, Dilanandau! Let ME handle this!!// The sorcerer went on, unaware of the things he was being called by Dilandau, and asked me again, 

"I see. And what did he say to you? Has he tried hurting you in any way? Was he responsible for your last actions? Did you ever lose control at any point?" I couldn't help but frown, agreeing with my other half as curses fled from his lips.

Does it look like you lost control? Honestly, he must think you're a complete moron! Are you going to let him talk about you like that?? Stand up! DO SOMETHING! Don't sit there and look pretty!! Take action!!

//What do you propose I do, slap him again? You need to think things through, Dilandau, or we'll never-//

"Celena...?" I looked down at my brother, who seemed just as surprised as myself when I found myself halfway across the room and heading towards the sorcerer, hands twitching to give him the reprimand he deserved. I blushed, muttered something about forgetting myself, and sat next to Van, who immediately pulled away and blocked Hitomi from my view as though I might go after her. I gave him a little smile which seemed to make even more nervous, and I gave them all a little titter of amusement. 

"Nothing, Allen!" I smiled more freely as Hitomi began to giggle as well, and couldn't help but smirk when a sulky voice inside mumbled, 

You have that air-head act down to a beat. You've been spending too much time with Millerna, Celena. The sorcerer, however, did not find the situation amusing- probably because he realized that I'd gotten up to go assault him, but maybe he had some idea as to what I ha going through my mind. Whatever the reason, he sat up very straight, and put his pen down on the table beside him.

"Lady Celena, I feel as though you are not applying yourself to this completely. If you'd like, we can stop and try again some other day-"

"No, no, that's alright!" I gave him the giggle that always made Allen stop asking me what I was up to, and put on one of my sweetest smiles. Rusent seemed to see right through it however. His face got a very eery stillness to it, and I could almost hear the mechanical and clockwork thinking that was whirring through his mind. The slightest of smiles broke through on his face, and my confidence began to fall. I could feel panic begin to take form, despite Dilandau yelling at me to get a grip on myself. I forced the smile to stay on my face, and I was very proud of myself that it didn't fall when he asked me a quetion I was unprepared for:

"Ms Schezar, may I assume that Dilandau is speaking to you right now?" I must have gasped, however, as he showed more teeth in his smile, and Allen seemed to grow faint. Van stood up, holding his arms up as a shield in front of Hitomi as though I had the plague and he was protecting her from me. Merle had said nothing the whole time, she sat quietly in her corner, her tail curled around herself and claws digging into the chair she sat perched on. Dilandau screamed bloody murder the whole time, then shouted at me in urgency.

LIE, lielielielielielielielielielielielielielielielielie!!!

" Yes..." I could barely hear the next thing the sorcerer said to me, with the screams of Dilandau, the shouts of astonishment from Van and Allen, and the gasps of Hitomi all overwhelming my sense in a cacophony of anger, fear, and surprise. I remember biting my lip, because I could taste blood in my mouth after a few moments. I was wincing as the noise grew in volume, and I lowered my head, bringing my hands to my face and begging with Dilandau to calm down. I was almost to the point of tears, it hurt so much, and Allen was by my side in an instant, Holding onto me tightly. The sorcerer, however, was adamant in his pursuit, and asked me his question again.

"What is he saying??" I looked up at him, hearing both his voice, and the shouts of my counterpart. I would have liked very much to have just curled up and hidden myself at that point, just to get away from it all, but Allen was my link to everything; he held my hands tightly and caught my eyes with his cerulean depths. *Allen!* I pulled out my handkerchief and wiped away the tears that had begun to form, and stiffened my frame. Dilandau was quiet as I did this, trying to calculate my next move, though probably guessing it. I could just imagine him, smirking as he did so often, and feeling mighty as I showed weakness. I licked away the blood from my lip and locked eyes with the sorcerer. He seemed taken aback with this sudden fierceness in my eyes, and even Allen seemed unnerved.

"They're red again... Celena...?" I wouldn't let him weaken my resolve however. I kept staring into the eyes of Rusent, and said boldly,

"I would tell you, Sorcerer, but my brother would not approve of what I would say. My breeding does not allow me to answer you." Allen bit his lip, seeming to be beaten by his own game of proper etiquette and manners that he'd always made me follow begrudgingly. The sorcerer seemed nonplused, but I spoke out again before he could reply. "I can, however, let you know what we both think of you. Dilandau, please tell the man." With that, I closed my eyes and fell back even as Dilandau sprang forward. I could feel the giddiness in his being rise as the body reshaped itself, and I knew he'd been waiting like a coiled dragon to spring forward. I listened with detached amusement as Dilandau used every curse we'd ever heard in a very intriguing and poetic manner, going on for a good five minutes. I think Allen jumped away from us, and I could see that Van was groping for the sword Allen had made him remove earlier. Apparently, Dilandau had not been the only one told to behave himself. I decided to let Dilandau deal with the interview for a while, I was exhausted emotionally and physically, and besides, it was his turn to deal with the idiot. 

Dilandau sat down with a sneer on his face, triumphant and superior. It took Rusent several minutes to find his voice, but Hitomi found hers first.

"Dilandau-" Our eyes swerved over in her direction, and she gulped. "Now they're blue...." She said in hushed tones, and Dilandau ran his fingers through his hair. Curly, blonde, and very much like my own. He frowned when he realized this, but the sorcerer spoke again, softly, as though trying to coo a babe to sleep.

"Dilandau... how.... nice of you to join us.... I'm glad to see you well. But if you don't mind, I'd like to talk to the lady Cel-"

"Forget it! I'm the one who's got control right now, so deal with it. This is the first time I've been able to come forward and speak my mind without wearing something pink and frilly. Celena- or rather, Allen, has no sense in fashion, and I want to enjoy what time I've got in more fitting attire. Besides, Celena asked me to deal with you personally." He shot a look over at Van, who'd chuckled at the thought of Dilandau in something pink and lacy, but the young king gulped at his glare and fell silent. Dilandau's eye twitched momentarily, and he brought a hand up, beginning to stroke his cheek while visions of the young king's head on a pike whirled through our mind. I knew Van didn't have to worry, though. As much as Dilandau despised him, our hatred for the sorcerers was first and foremost; a feeling that had been beaten into us when we were young, and fed with fear and malice as we grew. I didn't hate Van, but I would have had no qualms if he'd been injured after our ordeal with the sorcerers had come to a close. If you think it beastly of me, just remember that I loved Chesta, Dalet, Gatti, Miguel and everyone else as much a Dilandau had, if not more, and I had seen the wreckage of their ships, and I had heard the cries for help and mercy that Van had ignored and been blissfully deaf to. So if I seem cruel, remember what I saw and heard, and rethink your loyalties. Hate is a powerful thing, but fear, fear is stronger yet. And we feared the sorcerers above all else. The one who sat in front of us had no idea how much we wanted to exact revenge upon him for all that had happened to us, for what had happened to our men, for what they had done to our lives. Dilandau's hand lowered and his scowl deepened, our hate burning both our souls, and a mixed bloodlust began to fill our entire being. His words seethed as he spoke, and he accomplished something that was rather effective- I almost giggled when I saw the sorcerer's eye bug out. Almost. The room almost seemed dark, despite the fact that it was still afternoon, albeit late. Maybe it was just the atmosphere as Dilandau made his demands. His voice softened and whispered about the room, my own thoughts echoing his as our voice merged into a kind of double voice that seemed to scare the pants off of everyone there.

  
  


"I know you know a spell...." Our voice almost coed at the sorcerer, but began to grow into a deadly and more angered tone as we continued. "You know a spell, and you will perform it. We deserve a life, not this farce you've thrown us into. You will give Dilandau back his own body, and Celena will have complete control of her own. You will do this, and you will not destroy either." Allen stood, in horror or shock, I don't know. But once again, the girl from the Mystic Moon had the guts to speak up while all others cowered.

"Just who are you? Celena, or Dilandau?" Our eyes shifted over to her again, and I saw how she'd changed. She was still that irritating girl who'd ruined our plans so many times, but she'd become a young woman. She was an outsider, a foreigner, and would never fit in completely. Like Us. Dilandau frowned, irritated that he had to waste time on stupid things like identifying himself when he'd made it obvious who was in control. Our double voice answered.

"Celandau." He growled- Growled- in fury of the mixed reply, and tried again.

"Dillena" With that, the body made a sudden shift into its female form, catching us both by surprise and throwing us to the ground in pain. Between spasms, Dilandau hissed at me, 

"Why didn't you say you wanted to come back? I would've let you!" I coughed, wrapping my arms around myself as I took control again.

"I didn't- Dilandau, what's happening? Dilandau?? Why did you let go? I didn't ask...!" I fell forward again, and Allen supported our weight as the pain made it unbearable to stand or even sit. "Brother!!" I cried out, trying to understand what was going on, trying not to fall into the darkness that threatened to hold me and crush out my flame. I can remember tasting something bitter, but cool to my parched throat, and I saw a glimpse of Dilandau lying sprawled out on the edge of our consciousness, blood beginning to flow out of his mouth. I 'ran' over to him, propping him up with what strength I had left, though I was as exhausted as he was broken, and neither of us would be fit to move for some time. I pulled out a handkerchief from my sleeve and wiped away what blood I could, cradling his head on my shoulder. His eyes flickered up to mine, and I saw the fear they held. Not hate, not anger, not defiance: Pure and primal Fear. I saw splashes of liquid fall onto his face, and realized they were my own tears. He shifted to try to bring himself up, to try to wake the body that slumped against Brother's shoulder, to get it away from the danger it was in. He couldn't, and he fell back onto my shoulder, whispering.

"Celena..... Spell..... Sorcerer.... death..... don't... drink....potion" I couldn't make out the rest of his words however. A blinding flash illuminated our shared space, and I fell to the ground, arms still wrapped around my fallen angel, my doused flame.

  
  


*******

  
  


"Such a beautiful face. Maybe we should just tell Allen she died during the experiment, I think it might be easier than parting with this one." 

Dilandau awoke to an odd mixture of sensations: one of someone kissing him very gently on the lips, the other of having half of his life-force being drained from him. One he remembered quite vividly, and memories brought him to full attention. He roared in fury as he found himself strapped to a table, and tears choked his throat from forming coherent words. His mind raced, straining against bonds he knew he couldn't break in his weakened state, and thoughts hitting a barrier within his subconsciousness. He saw Celena on the other side, looking as though she slept peacefully, and a hint of a smile was on her lips as she had dreams within her dreamworld. But he could see that this was no state of sleep. Never had she looked so pale, never had she been deaf to his cries for her. He threw his weight against the barrier that separated them, in a frenzy as he saw her fading from view. The angelic look never leaving her face, parts of her visible, then gone. Dilandau shouted at her to awaken, to fight, to break free. She only sighed and flickered from his vision for a moment. He forced himself to break his thoughts from her, and opened his eyes again, looking through the haze of the room he was being held in. Several sorcerers were smiling down at him, one of them even dared to bring down his hand to touch the soft face, run his hand down the length of the figure laying out on the table. Rusent, apparently in charge of the operation, allowed his fingers to linger on the soft locks of hair framing Dilandau's face.

"Ah, awake, are we? Don't worry, you're doing fine. Just relax, Celena. We'll have you free in a moment." *Celena??* Dilandau looked down at himself for the first time, and saw he had flesh bulging out in the wrong places, and that he was missing it in other areas. He exploded in near delirium, his frenzied cries for help those of Celena's.

"NO!! GET AWAY FROM ME!! CELENA! WAKE UP!! FIGHT THEM!!" Rusent had brought a hand down to quiet Dilandau, but drew it back, blood beginning to ooze from the gash Dilandau's precise nip had given him. He looked angrily at the sorcerers around the various instruments, and shouted.

"You fools!! You were supposed to sedate Dilandau, not Celena!! Reverse the spell, quickly!!" Dilandau strained at the leather that bound him helpless to the table, hearing it groan at the amount of pressure he forced upon it. But Celena's frame was too weak to break the bonds, he needed his own form to do the task. Not wondering or even caring if she could hear him, Dilandau closed his eyes while still straining on the thongs that held him prisoner, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"You have to fight them!! Celena!! Wake up!! Don't leave me alone!!" From within his mind's eyes, he saw the barrier between them begin to fade as the sorcerers began to reverse the spell. He batted away what was left of the spell and scooped her lifeless form into his arms, hugging her close. 

"Celena, wake up. Gods, woman, wake up. You can't leave me alone!! Wake up! Celena!" She moaned quietly, but had too little strength to do anything else. He could feel tears falling from his eyes, but he didn't pay them any mind. Whispering, he said quietly, "Celena, you can't leave me like this! Celena, please... I need you!"

Leaning down, Dilandau kissed her with a passion; a need that drove two people destined to be together. Her body shuddered as another onslaught of the spell attacked her weakened mind, but he could feel heat begin to return to her. Her eyes flickered open, and she looked up, startled to find her other half's lips pressing themselves against her own with such force. He saw her expression of confusion and laughed, holding her tightly to his chest as she began to reappear. "Don't you dare leave me alone again, Celena. Damn you woman, I thought I'd lost you forever." His voice held no malice, however, and she pushed herself up, and they stood together, arms wrapped around each other in a tight grip. The body shifted to it's male form, though neither noticed, they were so caught up in the embrace. Celena looked up at him and laughed, wiping away some of his tears.

"Damn you yourself. Crying over a woman? You have gone soft, Dilandau." He smiled, but said nothing as he held her close again. 

Their reuniting was swift however. Dilandau gasped as a bolt of pain made him stagger away from Celena, clutching at his chest and panting. "Celena... run..." A bright light began to form above his head, the same light that had ensnared Celena before. He fell to his knees, whispering again, "Run....!" She threw herself at him, throwing him out of the way as the column of light the spell had created found her, and drew her off the ground. She reached out, crying.

"Dilandau!!" Then, she was gone.

  
  


An emptiness he'd never felt before filled his very soul. He was truly alone. Celena was gone.

  
  


The next few moments were a rapid blur as Dilandau burst the bonds and sprang from the table. As his breathing and senses returned to normal, he found several sorcerers dead on the floor, their necks broken. He picked himself up to his full height, looking like the spirit of Death itself, though his mind was in shambles. He cried out Celena's name again and again, but found nothing, not a trace of her was left. Rusent stood silent amid the shambles of the room that he had used as an operating room. Dilandau looked at him, a new light in his eyes. There was no fear anymore, there was nothing but acrimony and pure soul eating loathing that bit away at Dilandau's very being. He stared at the sorcerer, who stood calmly and showed no signs of worry, or even regret. 

"The heavens will weep when they see what I've done to you." Dilandau stepped forward to tear to shreds that creature that stood before him, that thing that had taken everything he'd ever loved from him, that sorcerer who had taken away the part that had a future. But he stopped suddenly, the room cold. 

  
  


The Sorcerer smiled.

Shouts from the halls broke the silent spell of the room, Dilandau cursed as Allen's voice rang clear through the halls. That damn knight hadn't even been able to save his little sister!! Dilandau roared he would have Rusent's blood, and threw himself out the window, rolling onto the ground below. Nothing broken, he threw a groom from the horse he was walking, and sprang on the beast's back, kicking it. It sped forward, and they disappeared into the shadows of the night.

  
  


Allen jumped out of the window in time to see the figure fading from sight.

"Celena!! Come back!!"

"That was Dilandau, not Celena." Rusent stood next to Allen, watching the groom pick himself up painfully and look at the dust eddies the horse had kicked up moments earlier. Allen looked at the sorcerer, panic not yet set in his voice.

"But she'll calm him down. They'll be back, then you can finish-"

"She's not there anymore, Sir Allen. That was Dilandau. They had merged so much that we had to guess which entity was which, and we chose the wrong one. That is Dilandau, and Dilandau alone." Allen fell to his knees. 

"Celena.... God, NO!!" He fell forward, hitting the ground with his fists. "We came so close... and I lost you again! ...forever..."

"Not quite. There is a way to fix the spell, but we need to reach Dilandau quickly before anything happens to him. I suggest getting your airship ready; I will prepare what I need to cast the spell, and then meet you at your ship. Remember, time is of the essence." Allen nodded dumbly, then shot off into the house, calling the men who weren't there already and ordering them to prepare the Crusade. Within minutes, the airship took off into the night sky, and the house seemed strangely silent as it stood lit without any occupants save the shattered remains of the sorcerers. On the bridge of the airship, Hitomi left Van's side to speak to Allen.

"Allen.... Don't worry. Everything will be fine. I know it. Have faith in Dilandau, Allen. He knows what he has to do." Allen allowed a small smile of appreciation to how to the mysterious girl, and she gave him a hug in friendship. He sighed, looking out at the double moons that shone bright over the land.

"I hope you're right, Hitomi. I hope you're right." 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*So, do you all love it or hate it?? Lemme know, k? R/R, or email me! SirLadySketch@hotmail.com Thanks!!*


	9. Visions Through The Glass

*Gomen, minna-san! Things have been hectic these past tow months. I've had college issues, exams, Aps/Finals to study for, Graduation stuff to sort out, and then a death in the family. So if things aren't up to par and a bit late, you know why now. Drop me a line about what you think; this is, as you'll see, where the title of the fic came from, and I want to know what y'all think. A couple of quick notes, I had one chapter that was about 6 times as large as this, so I broke it into three chs, instead of this being the last one. I'm hoping the other two will be typed asap, but there may be delays, I just don't know. Then, I'll have some author's notes as well as an epilogue/ sneak preview for the continuation of this story, "Reflections on the Heart" I think I've babbled enough, so I'll let you read in peace. Enjoy!! SLS 5-30*

  
  


Visions Through The Glass

  
  


Marrianna looked up as her four year old daughter ran into the kitchen, bare foot and panting as though she'd come from a distance. The child tugged at her skirts as she kneaded the bread, eyes wide and attentive. She tried pulling her mother away from the dough, pointing while tugging harder on her mother's dress. Marrianna sighed, not looking down, and continued her work. "What is it, Kara? Mommy's busy right now." The child frowned, pulling harder and shaking her head.

"A ghost, Momma! A real live ghost!!" Marrianna frowned, stopping and looking sternly at the child who continued to pull her towards the door.

"Hush now!! I won't have any of that in my house, young lady! There isn't such a thing as ghosts, haven't Papa and I told you so before?" Kara refused to listen though, and began to whine.

"But Mama!! He came from nowhere! He's all bloody, jus' like when he died!! He's scary!! Momma!!" 

"Kara! I told you, there's no such thing. It's probably your older brother, you know Thomas likes to scare you." The young girl shook her head fiercely, pigtails slapping against her back.

"I saw him!! He was a whiten'palen'sadn'a really really really really tall ghost! He took Pa's shirt!!" Marrianna laughed, wiping her hands on a towel and setting the dough aside. She took Kara's hand, telling her to lead her to this 'ghost' that was tall, bloody, white, pale, and sad. Her daughter seemed relieved as she guided her mother towards the clothesline, tugging harder and yet drawing back as they approached. Marriannna had put the laundry out that morning so that it would dry by the noon glare, and she wasn't about to have some tramp stealing one of her husband's shirts. As they neared the line, Marrianna could see that sure enough, someone was pulling on one of her husband's shirts, pants and shoes for the finishing touches nearby. She pushed Kara to the side and grabbed a log from the firewood pile to use a s a club. As he pulled the shirt over his head, the boy turned, as though he'd sensed their arrival.

"You there!! What do you think you're-?" She dropped the wood, backing away. Red eyes watched her retreat, dead in their hollows and full of bitter sadness. Blood was caked around his crown, as though he'd hit his head long ago, and a scar stood prominent on his pale facade, the mark of a warrior long ago. Standing there silently, Marrianna was more obliged to believe that the thin figure was indeed a restless spirit, and felt even more inclined to allow him to keep the shirt.

"A demon.." She whispered, then ran to get her daughter out of harms way. 'Let the demon have the clothes,' she thought. 'May he find peace somewhere out there, and may he not mark our house with a curse.'

  
  


Allen bit his lip, scanning the horizon for any trace of Dilandau or the horse he'd stolen. Allen had gotten the Crusade's men ready in record time- partially due to the fact that they'd been awoken by the commotion of Dilandau's struggle with the sorcerers. He'd left Gaddes to clean up what remained of Rusent's assistants in the spare room, and keep what order could be maintained in this moment of crisis over the estate. Van and Hitomi rode in Escaflowne, scanning the ground closer to the trees, and using the pendant to search in the general direction the boy had run. Allen feared the boy might come to harm, and then where would he be? All he had left of Celena was that demon, and Dilandau had run off, blindly fleeing from the memories of pain and fear. When he found him, would he strike him? Would he try to kill him, blame him for stealing his little sister from him again? Would he embrace him and call him brother, forsaking Celena forever? Allen's cerulean eyes flickered over to the sorcerer, who stood motionless with eyes closed in concentration- a spell of some sort, or so he expected. The sorcerer had seemed to have anticipated an action of this sort occurring, because it had taken him less than five minutes to gather all he needed for the spell that would hopefully rescue Celena from her peril. Allen frowned, noting for the second time that the sorcerer had only brought a tall object covered in cloth along. For a spell that was supposed to be difficult, he had thought Rusent would need more tools and potions to make the magic work. He didn't understand everything that had happened, but he'd thought that there would have to be something intricate and complex to undo what had taken months to create and years to perfect. If you could consider Dilandau perfect. Whatever it was, it would have to be able to bring back his little sister, or there'd be hell to pay.

Escaflowne flew past them suddenly, and over the communication system, Van's voice crackled with urgency.

"Allen! We've found him!! Head for the field over there- to the left a little. He's collapsed near the dry streambed. Don't worry, Hitomi's with him now. Quickly, follow me!" The dragon flew back to where the field he'd indicated was, but it was really no more than a dry patch of land, dust swirling about as the ship lowered itself to the ground. The vegetation was dry and shriveled- it had died during a drought, and had not yet recovered any life. There, curled up on the ground, laid Dilandau, face hidden in his arms and knees tucked under them. He'd found a shirt somewhere along the way, but he'd managed to lose the horse in turn. Nothing about the figure on the ground resembled the bane of Van's existence two years ago. He was nothing but an empty shell of one who had been great, but had fallen from fame, and the landing had been hard. Hitomi sat next to him, not sure of what to do. She looked relieved when she saw Van racing towards her, and moreso when she saw the Crusade descending. Allen jumped out of the ship before it had touched the ground, and the sorcerer was close behind, hauling his object with slight difficulty. Rusent set the thing leaning up against to a rock, then walked over to Dilandau's still form, opening a flask from within the dark recesses of his cloak. Propping Dilandau's head up with his knee, the sorcerer poured some of the liquid down the pale boy's mouth in the hopes of reviving him. The figure coughed and shook himself out of his daze, unfolding and sitting up blearily. He saw the sorcerer and the edge of his lip curled in a growl of hatred and disgust, then he turned and saw Allen, his face clouding over.

"I.... I couldn't save her..... Allen.... She's .....she's gone! She was such a fool, I was ready to die but she threw herself in the way and-" he cut himself off, biting his lip and looking down in shame. "And she died for me. For me. And all I could think about was leaving her far behind when I was free; forgetting her and taking a new identity to live a life in peace. But she sacrificed herself for me and- .... and I promised to protect her. I failed, Allen, I.... I'm sorry. It was my fault." The sorcerer spoke softly, almost cooing to the boy who sat in such misery and defeat below him.

"Dilandau... You can still save her, you know. Only you can help her now." Red eyes looked up, startled and anxious. Dilandau licked his dry lips, sitting a little straighter and showing his old confidence again.

"Well?" He asked in a waspish tone. "What do I do? Don't waste time, you pathetic creature. Tell me what I must do NOW." Rusent looked at him blankly for a moment, as if refusing to tell him because of the insult. But Allen, as much as he dislike the boy, had to agree with Dilandau.

"Rusent! We're wasting valuable time, sitting here like this! You said that time was of the essence, so tell us what needs to be done." The sorcerer's lip almost curled into a sneer at that- almost- but he regained his composure, and stood, returning to the rock where he had deposited his item for the spell. Dilandau stood, brushing off the three who were sitting near him, and moved away from them, not trusting anyone. Allen looked at him closely, trying to read the emotions that flitted across the dirt streaked face. Hatred, disgust, impatience, fear. Once again, Allen's mind whirred, wondering what it was that could strike such mortal fear into someone like Dilandau, especially when he had been created to fear nothing, and for the fact that the sorcerer looked harmless enough. All thoughts disappeared from his mind when the sorcerer removed the heavy cloth from the object- all save one, which he was about to voice when Dilandau did so with a more vivid word choice.

"What the fuck? How the hell is THAT going to get her back?" Rusent stood motionless beside the long, full-length mirror that was still propped up against the rock. Although it had the modern and rigid lines of something made by Zaibach, the frame was chipped, the glass scratched in places, and in overall disrepair. Allen stood as well, staring in disbelief. That was what the sorcerer had brought. A mirror?? That was going to save his sister? He could almost feel the anger that Dilandau had always shown towards any related to the sorcerers. How dare they mock him? Mock his pain, his loss, his suffering, his aloneness with this farce before them?? Allen reached to draw his sword, but stopped, seeing Dilandau's face. The hatred had dissolved, the fear forgotten for the moment. A look of awe and- was that relief?- shone through the ex-general's countenance. Dilandau's curses died away as he approached the mirror, dropping the dagger he must have pulled from a hiding place to end his ordeal with the sorcerer. Rusent, aware of Dilandau's attention being elsewhere, was not feeling suicidal, and he backed away from the antique glass, eyes never leaving Dilandau. Even as he watched the boy, Allen felt tears prick his eyes- he didn't know if they were tears of sadness or relief- but he paid them no mind. All he could do was watch the young man approaching the mirror, and wonder at what he beheld.

  
  


Even as Dilandau stepped closer to the mirror, her form became sharper, taking the same shaky strides towards the reflection. She smiled softly even as he looked on, bewildered and at once at a loss for words. Celena looked over her shoulder, where Dilandau could see the sorcerer's reflected image wavering in the distance. As if on cue, Rusent spoke softly, returning his voice to the gentle and innocent tone from earlier.

"Only you can do this, Dilandau. You must save her, and then you will reunited with your slayers. You will never be alone again." He could see Celena cursing the sorcerer for exploiting his weakness, but Dilandau paid her no mind. Closing his eyes briefly, his thoughts returned to the days of his military days, the times he'd spent with the others to hone their skills, the times he'd relied on them and times they're relied on him. To return to days where he could be with them again.... To not have any worries, to be free of the war and have the time to practice at leisure with his men....His thoughts suddenly spun out of his control, reassembling to the dream state where he'd first begun to get to know his other half.

We're not alone if we're together, right?

He opened his eyes again, to see her expression pained. She glanced at the sorcerer again, then turned back to him, her eyes urgent. 

*I don't trust him* she mouthed in what would have been a whisper if he could've heard her. Giving her a smirk, he shook his head, mouthing his own reply.

*Neither do I. Want me to show the sorcerer what a very pissed off General of the Dragonslayers can do?* She smiled then, laughing as though they hadn't a care in the world. He brought his hand to the glassy surface, feeling a cool resistance instead of the warm and soft palm of the woman he saw in front of him. She shared his smirk, and he felt as though he could almost feel her again; back there, just out of reach, safe in the dark recesses of their shared thoughts. He thought he could almost hear an echo of her thoughts ring softly through his mind, though he couldn't be sure if it was because it had something to do with their 'contact', or because he wished he could hear her voice again. 

*The Goddess can help us... You have to trust her, Dilandau...* 

He raised an eyebrow at this, and turned abruptly to his side, realizing he'd been approached while he'd been concentrating on Celena. Hitomi gave him a quiet smile, took his hand, and whispered something in his ear. His blank look grew into another smirk, which fell into a devilish grin. Celena cocked her head in confusion, though he knew she'd figure it out in a few moments. Giving the young Mystic Moon girl a nod in thanks, he looked behind him to see the sorcerer, still standing where he'd retreated earlier, and still watching him closely. He assumed his frown, and his brow furrowed more even as he snapped to the man, 

"Well?? What are you doing, just standing there? What do I have to do, sorcerer? Fix your pathetic mistake, and get it over with." Celena's eyes opened wider, as though just realizing that he was going to go through with it and sacrifice himself for her. She shook her head fervently, but he ignored, intent upon the sorcerer's instructions. 

"Place both hands on the mirror. Stand straight, don't break contact at any point while I start the spell." Dilandau nodded curtly, then turned back to look Celena in the eye. He couldn't tell what emotion clouded her eyes, but he kept his lips in a tight line and hoped his own face was blank of emotions. The sorcerer began his chanting, and the places where his flesh met the glass begun to hum and grow warmer. He looked at Allen, standing next to the girl, and then looked at Van, thoughts of finishing his hunt for the king's blood before he disappeared for good crossing his mind. He batted them away, and returned his gaze to Celena. The sorcerer looked up, stopping his murmur, and spoke in a low voice.

"Now, all you have to do is walk through the glass, and you will switch places with the lady Celena. Do this Dilandau, if not to save her but because you know it is right. Allow Celena the life she deserves."

"What, being the pathetic play-thing of some stuck up noble who only wants her for money and an heir? Allen, I swear, if you make her do anything like that I will personally summon all the forces of the fallen Zaibach and we'll haunt you til the end of your days." Allen blanched, but nodded, showing he understood. Hitomi looked puzzled, Van looked somewhat amazed that Dilandau was about to perform a selfless act, and the Sorcerer remained blank. Dilandau couldn't see far enough to judge the looks on the few crew members of the Crusade who had braved coming out, but he guessed that they were happy to see him go. Dilandau turned back to Celena for the last time, giving her a smile. She stared back, then closed her eyes, as though she refused to say goodbye.

Fine. If you're going to be that way.... He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and began to push forward, his hands going through the glass and beginning to lose feeling as he crossed the barrier. But, he noticed that he could feel Celena, despite the overall numbness of his arms. He opened his eyes to see Celena's eyes brimming with tears. The sorcerer had resumed his chant, but with more fervor and a more intensive rhythm to it. Dilandau stopped suddenly, resuming his self-assured grin of olden times. Celena watched him, motionless as well. The sorcerer still chanted, though he watched the two with a furrowed brow. Allen stepped forward uncertainly. 

"Diland-"

"You know, I never could stand heroics. In fact-" With this, he grabbed onto Celena's wrists , even as she did the same to him, a new emotion brewing in her eyes.

"I HATE THEM!" With that last word, he pulled, and there was a sudden lurching, a scream, and the sound of shattering glass. Dust formed a thick cloud in the air where the boy and the mirror had been, and it was several minutes before any of them could see the area. The mirror lay in shards on the ground, millions of pieces glittering like water on the barren ground. Beside the broken frame lay a body- the body of a boy in his late teens, early twenties. The body of Dilandau. Allen ran forward, shouting out in fury and despair.

"NO!!! Dilandau!! Celena? CELENA!! Dilandau, I'll kill you with my own bare hands, I swear to-"

'...Brother?" Allen stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the spot where Dilandau lay. The boy twitched, the sat up, revealing another body beneath him- the body of a young woman, also in her late teens, early twenties. His sister. Celena. She peered over Dilandau's shoulder at him. "Allen, I-"

"Celena, hold on a minute, don't get up yet- here, take my shirt.." She noticed her surroundings and appearance for the first time, and gratefully took Dilandau's shirt, which covered her for the most part. She stood shakily, even as Dilandau laid back, trying to rest. His body ached, screaming for sleep and the sweet darkness it brought. Before he gave in, he handed Celena the thing in his hand, then fell to the ground in exhaustion. She smiled down at him, then wobbled for a moment before meeting her brother and accepting his overcoat. She grinned at the young girl standing across from her, handing her the necklace. 

"Thank you. I was afraid for a moment that he wasn't going to go through with it. We are in your debt, Lady Hitomi of the Mystic Moon. I thank you for all you've done." She sighed, then slumped forward into her brother's arms, joining Dilandau in his quest for peace.

The sorcerer watched, unmoving, his smile unwavering. 

  
  



	10. Visions of the Dead

*Note on this Chapter PLEASE READ!!! Alright, everyone, we're one the first of the last three parts of the last chapter... I hope that made sense. Oh well if it didn't. I'm writing the note here because I want to warn you all: This is the pivotal point of the story; you're either going to love what's about to happen, or hate it. But, I think I've warned you all before- I a hopeless romantic, and happy endings are important...at least for this part of the story. So if you don't like what I've done, I just wanna say I'm sorry if you don't like it, but at least have the decency to tell me so in a review. And finish the story. Who knows? I've read stories that I hate what the author's done, but I love the ending. And yes, before you all ask, "Reflections of the Heart", the sequel to "Through The Glass", HAS been completed, and yes, I've got a sad ending for it. For those of you who hate happy endings, keep reading 'til then, those of you who DO like happy endings... Keep reading, I've got a happy ending too. You'll get to finish the story the way you want it, but you've gotta go all the way through! ^_^ That being said and done, I'm going to say more stuff, but down at the bottom. So, y'all enjoy and tell me whatcha think, nk? ~SirLadySketch~

  
  


Visions of the Dead

  
  


I don't know how long I laid in bed, passing from dreams into reality and back. I couldn't tell the difference, everything was confusing and blurred, and I was still so tired, I didn't really care if what I saw was real or not. Allen, Dilandau, Van, Hitomi, Merle, Rusent, and even some of the Crusaders swam into my vision once or twice, but if they'd said anything to me, I'd forgotten it by the time I'd woken up again. My first concrete memory was waking up to shouting in the hall, a splitting headache, and a cat curled under my arm. I slipped out of bed, disturbing Pandora but recognizing the voices in the hall, and I crept to the door to open it a crack. Allen was standing, angry and ready to chop off his adversary's head with his sword. Dilandau, for his part, looked as though he was getting equally as furious, and he kept eyeing the candelabra on one of the shelves to his right, no doubt planning to use it as a weapon against my brother by bashing it down on my Brother's perfect-looking-as-usual head. I heard a little of what they said before I stepped out into the hall to address the issue.

"Allen, keep your sword where it is and stop shouting. Dilandau, don't you dare touch the candlestick, and calm down. Now, Brother, why can't Dilandau come visit me, and Dilandau, why haven't you cut your hair?" Allen flushed at this, still angry with the boy in front of him, but ashamed that he'd awoken me.

"Celena, I'm sorry to have disturbed you. Return to your bed, you shouldn't be up yet! You're still unwell! I'll deal with this problem and-"

"Problem, am I?? Is THAT why you had my vino drugged?? Honestly, Allen, you should give me more credit. I can tell if my vino's been tempered with, or I wouldn't be here today." Allen muttered something under his breath about that being a shame, and Dilandau exploded, getting ready to lunge at his throat. I sucked in as much breath as I could, and allowed my migraine to do the talking.

"QUIET BOTH OF YOU!" They stopped, miraculously, and looked at me closely. I think my eyebrow twitched for at least five minutes while I tried to regain my calm and dignity. I turned to my brother, who stood tall and fair- if a little tired looking- and asked cooly, "alright, Allen, you first. Why can't Dilandau come see me?" Allen straightened, trying to gather as much charm as was possible in his flustered state- a trick I'd seen him use on various ladies of the court whose fathers , brothers, or husbands had power in the court of the king. I'd be damned if I was going to be charmed into being happy by my own brother-even if I knew he looked better than I did in the state I was in.

"I wanted you to get your rest, Celena. You're still recuperating, so you don't need any visitors. Besides, I strictly forbid him from leaving his room after... an earlier incident. " I cocked my head, trying to see if he'd continue, but he fell silent, so I turned to Dilandau.

"Why haven't you cut your hair? I thought you hated looking like Allen!" Dilandau's eyes flashed, and he began to stroke his cheek softly. *Oh dear...* I thought. *It's got something to do with Van...* Dilandau looked past me, and I could tell he was recounting earlier events, and he was beginning to forget where he was. A familiar grin crept over his face, and I could see Allen stiffen as Dilandau told me his side of the story. * I didn't want to relax this morning anyway...* I thought in irritation.

"When I woke up, I was in a room all alone. The door was locked, so of course I picked it and let myself out. I did- as I told you before- want to do something about my hair, so I headed to Allen's room to find my dagger. I was going through his things, and I found a small sword in the back of one of his closets. I was going to use it right then, but at the moment I drew it out of it's sheath, Van came into the room looking for Allen, and, well.... " He shrugged sheepishly, and I was torn between wanting to smack him and roll my eyes. He continued on, anger returning and throwing death glares at Allen. "Allen came in a few minutes later, and threw me back in my room with babysitters at my door. He didn't believe that it was just instinct kicking in-"

"Instinct?? You tried to kill the King of Fanelia- in MY bedroom no less!! Chasing a guest of my home with a knife is instinct?? You had that look in your eyes again! How was I supposed to believe you were trying to give yourself a haircut when you were chasing Van around my bed with a drawn blade??" The two began to bicker again, one snarling nasty remarks as the other peered down and glowered angrily. I pushed past the both of them and continued on my way down the hall, deciding it might be better to try to run away again then have to listen to the two. Allen hated Dilandau and my protection of him; Dilandau hated Allen, Van, the sorcerer, Gaddess, the rest of the Crusaders, all of Asturia in general, politicians, lazy soldiers, People who tried to boss him around, bad vino, disobedient servants, incompetents, and, above all, the colour pink. Not to mention lacy nightgowns. Allen tried calling me back, saying it wasn't proper for a lady to go about in her night clothes, but I told him that seeing as it was my house too, and that I didn't want to hear the two of them fighting any more, I just wanted to go outside and try to get some fresh air without anyone hovering over me, I could go around in whatever the hell I wanted, so help me, and if anyone got in my way they'd regret it, don't think about sending the men out after me I'm not going to do anything and I would make them want to flee Asturia if they bothered me, and where were the painkillers when you need them, I had a splitting headache and their shouting wasn't helping so be quiet and leave me alone!! 

  
  


After that, needless to say, everyone pretty much avoided me the rest of the day.

  
  


I eventually sat Dilandau down and I got to cut his hair. I don't think he trusted anyone else with a knife near his head, and there weren't any volunteers for the job or complaints by the men when I said what I was going to do- except for Allen, but I decidedly ignored him and went in anyway. It had taken me fifteen minutes to convince the "babysitters"- as Dilandau called them- outside of his room to let me go into the room, and fifteen more when they saw the knife. In the end, Tio sat in the corner of the room as I sat Dilandau on a chair, and went to work on Dilandau's hair. I'm not going to pretend I had fun- He complained about my beautician skills and said he'd rather have his head shaved than have to deal with the haircut I gave him, but in the end the result was -in my opinion- flattering. It was somewhat like Chesta's haircut- almost a bowl-cut, but a little longer. And Chesta's hair never looked disheveled. Dilandau's had always been perfect too, but I guess he'd gotten a little bit of my hair's unruliness when we split, because it fell into spikes across his brow, and his bangs didn't curl the way they'd used to. After looking himself over in the mirror another time, he scowled, saying he could've done better, but this would have to do. As I cleaned up the area and left, I know I caught a glimpse of him smirking and looking at himself again in the mirror- he denied it, of course, but I knew that deep down inside, he really liked it. `*' I left with a promise to try to dig up a diadem of some sort for him, though he muttered something about not wanting to wear my "god-damned princess crown". I guess he'd gotten some memories of my younger days when I'd played "dress-up as a princess", and that he remembered that the only crowns I had were all a bright and cheerful pink colour. Oh well. I liked him without the crown anyway.

  
  


Dilandau scowled down into his food, stirring it in disgust. He pushed away what he hadn't touched, then turned to look out the window for the hundredth time that day. What else was there for him to do? Allen had him locked up all day with guards outside his door- armed guards, or there wouldn't be a problem- and Celena was still somewhat weak from the separation. He wanted to scoff at her weakness, to allow his old self the satisfaction of knowing that he hadn't changed a bit. But he didn't. He had changed, for better or worse, both physically and emotionally, and he worried about her. She had never been strong to begin with, and with the damned sorcerer wandering the house freely, who knew what was going on? He hadn't forgotten Rusent's passing remark about kidnaping Celena again- he might have lost some of his old traits, but he still had an excellent memory. Being kissed by someone who thinks you're someone else was something was something he'd probably never forget, despite his attempts. He also remembered his words to the sorcerer when he fled into the night a week ago already: The heavens will weep when they see what I've done to you. Dilandau smirked at the words, a flicker of his former bloodlust curling his lip. Well, he could use his time in captivity to contemplate how to fulfil his promise. His lovely visions of death and destruction were interrupted when a soft rap on the door alerted him to Celena's presence. She winced somewhat as she walked in, and he was startled to find himself hearing voices; more specifically, Celena chastising him.

*For Gods' sakes, Dilandau, don't you ever stop thinking about war?* She frowned at him, as though she hadn't realized she'd sent the thought to him, and opened her mouth to speak her mind. He beat her to the chase, however, awarding him with a look of quickly covered shock and pride.

/I'm just passing time planning my next move, that's all. Does it bother you that much?/ She didn't say anything, and he raised an eyebrow at her, until he realized she was guarding her words. Gaddess stood in the doorway, frowning as though he didn't approve of Dilandau's very existence- which he probably didn't- nor did he like Celena involving herself with an ex-general of Zaibach. He said nothing however, just stood there and waited for Celena to speak. She drew herself up, trying to make herself look condescending and reproving. 

"Dilandau, you haven't touched your lunch. Aren't you hungry?" *You could have at least told me you could read my thoughts. Now I need to learn how to block you out, and I needed another thing to worry about.*

"No, I'm not." /I didn't know, it must be because you're getting stronger, and because we're at such close range. And why would you want to block me out? Don't like me checking up on you?/ Her lip twitched, but she didn't break her stern countenance.

"Well, that's too bad. Allen said that you could join us for dinner tonight, but if you're not feeling up to it, I don't want you to feel like you have to come." * And Van's going to be there. You MUST promise me you won't try to dig out his heart with a butter knife* He sat for a few moments, absorbing this information, still and contemplative. Gaddess shifted uncomfortably, unhappy to be stuck here, but loyal to his promise to Allen to make sure "that psychotic pyromaniac son of a dragon welp" didn't touch the boss' sister. He silently cursed at his pathetic loyalty to the Schezar family, and wondered again why he'd never taken that job as a sailor instead of joining the band of thieves under Allen. Celena and Dilandau remained oblivious to his warring within himself, so caught up in their own conversation.

*I mean it, Dilandau. Van will be there, don't go after him.*

/....../

*Dilandau?*

/What about a spoon or a fork?/

*DILANDAU!!!!!*

/ I'm joking, relax. Van has nothing to fear of me. Rusent, on the other hand..../ He chuckled, rubbing his scar absently. Gaddess snapped to attention at this, breaking away from his fantasies of having a mermaid girlfriend, and standing tall again.

"Miss Celena?" She stood, looking down at Dilandau with a frown. 

"We will miss your attendance tonight-"

"I'm coming." She smiled a little then, and turned on her heel.

"Good. Then we'll see you tonight. In the meantime, you can show us you're strong enough to attend by finishing your lunch." He sat in shock for a moment, then scowled at her retreating form.

/Bitch/ 

  
  


Dinner went as was expected- fairly poorly. Van and Dilandau kept sending death glares at each other from time to time; Hitomi kicking Van under the table, and Celena shouting at Dilandau through their newly rediscovered private communication channel. Allen tried to keep his eye from twitching when Dilandau muttered some rather unflattering remarking about his 'brother', and the sorcerer ate without speaking or making eye contact with anyone. The conversation fell to the ladies then, if slightly forced at least civil and pleasant. Merle was the only one successful in saying anything of interest, as Celena had never liked social events, and Hitomi was afraid she'd make a comment that would anger the sorcerer or piss off Dilandau. The conversation moved from weather to gossip to the current status of the various smaller countries surrounding Zaibach after the fall of the empire. Rusent spoke often then, explaining how many of the "top minds"- sorcerers- of Zaibach had "relocated"- fled- to the southern countries, and how he'd ended up in the kingdom of Cyriell as a healer, later to become high healer of the northern region. He told them about how the newly dubbed "healers" were doing what they could to help the ailing King of the country, and how they were trying to help the King's daughter with her royal burdens of ruling. Dilandau made a scoffing sound at that, muttering about how they'd take over the little country for their own means within the year, and Rusent showed his first signs of temper with a few curt words of Dilandau's origins. Van did an astonishing thing- He came to Dilandau's defense by saying that it did seem rather opportunistic of the Sorcerers to arrive when the kingdom was somewhat weak, and that they might inadvertently end up taking command when the king died. Rusent began to forget his composure and manners entirely, and the evening would have been completely shot if Allen had not asked Rusent to tell them of the things he did as a healer- if he used magic, or simply herbs and medicines. Rusent cooled and collected himself again, his composure returning to smug satisfaction. 

"We do what we can, how we can, Sir Allen. In simple cases, a remedy of herbs and medicines can be applied, and the patient recovers normally. However, in situations like your sister's, magic must be used to a certain degree to cut down on the possibilities of error. A mistake, in this case, the formation of Dilandau, is not entirely uncommon, though somewhat discouraging. In the future, we will not alow such grievous defects in our spells-"

"A "grievous defect" am I? Let me show you what your 'grievous defect' can-"

"Dilandau." Celena's hand tugged at his arm, trying to bring him back down to his seat, but he shook her off and left the table angrily. Allen stood to stop him, but Dilandau faced him before the knight could speak.

"Relax Allen. It's not like I've got anywhere to run to, and you've got guards every ten feet. I'm not going anywhere." 

Allen stood still for a moment, trying to decide if it was wise to allow him about the house by himself, then sat down again with a sigh."I'm not worried about that," he muttered under his breath. "I just don't want my house burned to the ground..."

Dilandau disappeared into the shadows, his soft footsteps clicking as he made his way through the door out into the hall. Celena looked at her brother, glared at the sorcerer, then stood up before Allen could call her back and raced off after Dilandau. An uncomfortable silence hovered over the room, and Allen wished more than ever he could just forget his manners and start banging his head on the table. He couldn't though, and later he'd decided it was a good thing he hadn't. What if he'd gotten something in his hair? Besides, he mused as he buttered another roll, if anyone could calm Dilandau down, it was Celena. He began to concentrate on buttering the roll even more when he'd tried to start a conversation again only to find the Sorcerer gone, Merle flirting with Gaddess, and Van and Hitomi mouthing a conversation that was composed of sweet nothings being mouthed to each other. He gave up and left, off to do something that always made him feel better: primp.

  
  


When she found him, he was standing next to one of the large windows overlooking the fields below and beyond the main entrance to the mansion. He didn't even look away when she put her hand on his shoulder, and she could feel his emotions, though he'd been trying to block them from her. She leaned her head against his back, and brought her arms around his front to give him a squeeze.

"I shouldn't have broken the mirror..." She flinched, and hugged him tighter, trying to break down his ever stronger barriers.

"Don't talk like that, Dilandau... We'll find a way to get them back, I promise. Just hold on, we'll figure something out." His shoulders slumped then, and he leaned on the windowsill, head down and hair covering his face.

"I should be dead instead of them... They didn't deserve their fate, it was my rage, my hatred, my lust, not theirs... My men, Jajuka...but it doesn't matter anymore. As soon as word of my existence gets out, I'll be taken into custody, put before court, and then eventually executed. So, I'll see them soon enough.."

"Dilandau-" he shrugged her off, shaking his head.

"Don't get attached to me, Celena. The more distance you put between us, the less danger you'll be in. If they can't associate you to my crimes, you'll be safe. Allen will see to it-"

"I won't let him! You're more of a brother to me than he is; we're closer than blood, closer than kin. You're basically my twin, my other self, and I'll be damned if I lose someone else close to me. You're not alone, not if we're together, right? I won't leave you alone, Dilandau. You don't need to go into the darkness by yourself, I'll be there with you. I swear. We'll never be alone again." His hand closed over hers, and he gave it a light squeeze. She held him protectively, and they stood like that for some time, neither speaking, nor needing to.

  
  


Allen watched the two for some time, then made his way to his rooms by another hall. He'd heard most of what had been said- though he hadn't meant to listen- and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret. Had he done the right thing? What Dilandau has said was true- as soon as word of his continued existence got out, several countries would be calling for his blood. But, what Celena had said was also true. Dilandau *was* more of a brother to her than he'd ever been. He hadn't gone through what she'd been through, he hadn't been there to protect her from the sorcerers, he hadn't wanted to tell her the truth of her past. He'd given her up for dead, then forced her to be something she wasn't when she returned- no wonder she'd tried to run away. He sighed, then changed his course to go visit someone he thought would be able to help him clear his thoughts. He came to the door, listened for a moment, didn't hear anything, and knocked softly. 

"Come in." Allen opened the door, grateful to see that the young king was alone, sitting on the bed and polishing his sword. Van looked up, saw Allen, and put the sword down, motioning him to a seat. He looked at the knight for a moment, then said, "you're confused about your relationship with your sister and that- ..Dilandau. You wonder if your actions were the right thing to do." Allen sat in the proffered seat, frowning and running his fingers through his hair.

"I just don't know what to do. Have I done the right thing, Van? I know it is my duty to protect the lives of the people of Asturia, and that I am to deal with criminals of war by giving them to the king. But... what comes first? Duty to country, or family? If you betray your own blood, where are those you love when you need them? But if you betray your country, what kind of world are you making for your loved ones to live in? I've never had to deal with anything likes this, Van. Celena is blood, my duty is to protect her until she finds a man to guard her. But Millerna is my Queen, and never in my services to her or her father before her did I fail to do what I believed followed the code of Knight of Heaven. What is Dilandau to me? Is he the enemy of my people, a creature I must turn over to the proper authorities, or is he something more? He shares Celena's blood- my blood- though he is his own person I cannot help but think that he is also a part of the Schezar line. He might have started as a different person, but after merging and then dividing with Celena, I cannot say that I believe he is only Albatou anymore. He is as much Celena's brother- though I hate the very thought of his existence- as he is a stranger to me. Moreso than I am to her. She... She said so herself. What will she say when she hears of what I have done? Van, did I do the right thing?" 

Van stared at the blonde, amazed that something so philosophical and deep could come from the knight, and didn't answer right away. He hadn't counted on Allen actually fretting this much over anything; he usually decided then acted upon what he thought was best. That didn't mean he didn't fret over the past, it was just that Van had never heard anything of this sort from the man before him, and he began to have new respect for the knight. So, instead of advice or thoughts, he did what he did best- said the obvious very bluntly.

"Allen, you already made the decision, remember? It's too late, even if you regret it now. They're on their way here *now*." Allen stood and began to pace, his long locks flowing behind him like a cape.

"I know, but do you think I was right?" Van shrugged, picking up his sword and cloth again.

"Some things you just have to leave to your heart, Allen. You did what you thought was right at the time. No matter what was or was not supposed to happen, everything will work out in the end. I've become a strong believer in things working out in the end." He gave a wistful smile, thinking of how very right the past few weeks had gone. He then turned his attention back to Allen, who was still pacing around the rug by the bed. " Balgus is dead, my country was destroyed, lives were lost, the whole planet was nearly torn in two. Much of this was due to Dilandau and his men, and yet... And yet so was my brother, Folken. When he died-... I realized how foolish I had been to ignore his attempts to redeem himself, and to put things right. It wasn't until I lost him that I- that I remembered why he meant so much to me. People change. Given a second chance, many turn over a new leaf and try again. I admit, no matter what is decided, I do not like Dilandau, nor will I ever. But even I- probably his biggest enemy- can see he's changed, and I'm not sure it's for the worse. I cannot forgive him his deeds and bloodlust of the past, but it was the past. Balgus was buried, my country rebuilt larger and more magnificent than before, the world is beginning to realize peace again. I can't judge your judgment or your decisio because I am not altogether convinced you did the right thing." Allen pursed his lips, and Van stood beside him, sheathing his blade and putting a friendly hand on the knight's shoulder. " It will work out in the end, Allen. Trust me." The two exchanged companionable- if not harrowed- smiles, and tried to relax somewhat. This might have succeeded, had it not been for surprised shouts in the hall and the sounds of footsteps running towards the door. Both men had blades drawn and ready when the door was thrown open, and Dilandau stood panting in the doorway. His eyes scanned the area left and right wildly, then settled on the two men with weapons pointing in his direction. Ignoring the swords, he drew himself up and moved over to them with catlike speed and grace, despite his weariness. 

"Where is she, Allen?" Allen looked at Dilandau with a scowl, still not sure if he should put the blade away or not. Gaddess stood in the doorway, shrugging. Allen turned his attention back to Dilandau and sheathed his blade, deciding to at least have the pretense of being collected.

"What do you mean Dilandau? If you mean Celena, the last time I saw her, she was with you." Dilandau's eyes widened, then narrowed, becoming ruby slits of rage. 

"I left her to return top my room. I heard her scream and she was gone. What kind of brother are you, letting your little sister get kidnapped-" He straightened, then turned and tore out of the room. "Dammit!! The sorcerer!!" He tore down the halls at a pace that impressed even Van, and the trio ran after the enraged ex-captain of Zaibach. As they raced along the corridors towards the quarters where Rusent had been staying, Merle appeared by Van's arm. Her eyes were wide with fear and worry

" Lord Van! I can't find Hitomi anywhere! I was gonna meet her after dinner, but she never showed!! I looked in her room, but everything was broken and messed up! And..." She cast her eyes down, and pulled out the pendant. "I found this thrown into one of the corners. Lord Van!! Do you think she's been kidnaped again, or that she went back to the Mystic Moon??" Van's heart sank, and he put on another burst of energy. As much as he hated following Dilandau....

The room's door thrown aside, there was no evidence of it ever being occupied. Bed made, curtains drawn, candles unlit, it had looked the same way it had been kept for so many years before the latest use. Allen and Van stood dumbstruck , surveying the room in disbelief. Dilandau ran to the window, threw it open and did his now popular stunt of jumping out the window from the second story. He landed with both feet on the ground, remained for several seconds trying to clear the black spots that swarmed his vision, then ran to the sables to grab the nearest horse. He kicked one of the Crusaders down in his rampage, taking the cutlass that had been drawn to stop him. Jumping on the bay, the roared off into the night, screaming death to those who dared tried to take that which he cared for. Allen and Van were not willing to attempt Dilandau's stunt, but called for their guymalefs' preparations. Van jumped into Escaflowne, Allen into Sherazade, and the duo sped off in the direction Dilandau had taken for a second time. 

  
  


"Van! Do you see any sign of them?" 

"No, I haven't- wait, over there, to the right! It's .... It's Celena! It's Celena and Hitomi's behind her! They're on the horse Dilandau took and a different one!! They look alright, thank goodness. But... Dilandau and Rusent aren't with them..." Allen threw open the hatch to his malef as Celena hurried over to him, and Van jumped out to scoop Hitomi into his arms. Celena had the beginnings of a black eye and a swollen lip, Hitomi's ankle had twisted and she was limping. The horses snorted, watching the humans exchange hugs and kisses, then decided they didn't care and returned to grazing. Through tears and smiles, Van stroked back wisps of hair that fell into Hitomi's eyes. 

"Hitomi, how did you-"

"Van, you won't believe it, but Dilandau saved me." He stared at her, then shook his head, hugging her.

"I'm sure he did, but I think he was only after Cele-"

"NO, Van. The sorcerer threw Celena off the horse when Dilandau came charging after him, hoping to make him stop. Dilandau said that he wasn't leaving without both of us, and then he was going to repay a debt of some kind. He came right up to the horse, grabbed me off of it and tossed me into the saddle. He pulled the sorcerer off his horse, but Rusent got up and tried getting away on foot. Dilandau nearly flew off the horse and raced after him. I'm perfectly fine, and I wouldn't have been hurt at all but I slipped on a root trying to make my way back to Celena. Dilandau saved us, Van." She smiled softly, and Van shook his head in disbelief. 

"I don't believe it..."

"Where is he now? And what about Rusent?" Celena shook her head, face pained. 

"The last we saw them, they went into the woods over there. There were a lot of noises that I don't want to describe, and then silence. I don't know who won, Allen." She said this softly, staring at the woods that had enveloped the two forms in darkness. Silence greeted the four faces, only to be disturbed by the swishing of the horses tails. Then there was a soft "squish" sound, and something rolled into the bushes near the edge of the area where they stood. They stood quiet, and the inky shadow of a man came into view, breath rasping and frame slightly bent over a wound. Celena broke from her brother's grasp, and ran to catch Dilandau as he stumbled. He didn't fall, but he leaned heavily on Celena while pulling himself straight. Blood oozed from a slice along his chest, but he wore a look of grim satisfaction. Celena pulled a sleeve from her dress, dabbing it against the shallow cut. 

"Dilandau, what did you-?"

"He won't be reporting back to his superiors anymore. It would be better if you didn't know the details." He walked over to the horses, pulled himself onto the dead man's horse, and smirked. "Well? Aren't you supposed to be in bed right now Celena?" She returned the smirk and hopped onto the other horse, holding her hand out for Hitomi.

"Afraid I'll turn into a pumpkin, Dilandau? Here, Hitomi, do you want to ride back with me?" Hitomi looked at Van, smiled, gave him a peck on the cheek and whispered into his ear. He blushed, murmuring something back, but she shook her head and took Celena's hand, coming up behind the blonde. Allen didn't know how much he liked the two girls riding with Dilandau, but there was no other option. Sighing in defeat, he climbed into his malef and kept the visor up so as to keep an eye on things. The ride back was uneventful, little being said and questions unanswered hanging in the air. When they got back, Celena and Hitomi hurried off to find Merle and hold a "girls-only" meeting in Celena's quarters. The three men stood in the courtyard after the women left, an uncomfortable silence over them. Dilandau muttered under his breath about ruined shirts and sore muscles, getting ready to return to his room.

"Dilandau, I-"

Dilandau turned, looking down to see Van standing alone at the steps leading up to the house. Allen had already made his escape, stowing the malefs and trying to find out where the girls had gone. Van blinked, as he stared into the firey depths of Dilandau's eyes, then gulped and straightened.

"Thank you, Dilandau." The albino blinked, shifting slightly to get a better look at the raven-haired boy, but said nothing. Instead, he nodded curtly, then walked swiftly into the house. Van let out the breath he'd been holding and followed a few minutes later. Dilandau was being "escorted" back to his room by several nervous Crusaders and the healer of the household, who was attempting to wipe away the blood but was being batted away by the irritated Dilandau. Van shook his head, then went to find his way back to his own chambers, off to clean his sword and ponder over what had happened.

  
  
  
  
  
  


"Dammit, Chesta, what is it??" Dilandau mumbled as the quiet yet persistent knocking awoke him from a drug-induced sleep. He sat up swaying, head hurting like a hangover and vision blurry. He paused, trying to listen for the knocking again, but heard nothing. He was about to dismiss it as part of a dream when his brain became fully awake and he listened again. There was nothing. Nothing. Not the sounds of guards sleeping, gambling, talking, anything. It was as if the house was deserted, and he'd been left here to rot in his little cell. He stood, holding the bedpost to regain his balance, then lumbered over to the heavy door, putting an ear against it. Still nothing. He tried the handle, only too find the lock sprung and the door open. He pushed, and was met with four 'guardians' slumped against his door, apparently knocked out. He checked their vital signs, found them all fine, then straightened, holding a rapier he'd relieved one of them of. Still, no sounds, except- There! A giggle and a waver of light at the end of the hall. He frowned, lowering the blade. One of the girls? A servant? A hallucination brought on by the pain killer he'd taken? He stealthily ran the length of the hall, only to find the light moving around yet another corner. He cursed, moved quicker and tried to catch the retreating light-bearer. He turned the corner only to find the candelabra sitting on a table outside one of the rooms. The soft 'click' of a door closing made him press himself up against the wall and inch his way over to the sound's source. He stood, rapier poised, as he waited for the person to show himself again. They obviously wanted him to follow them- why else would they have led him here?- so he let their impatience heighten, and betray them. In the end, his guess was right. The door opened a fraction, a head emerged cautiously from within-

He slammed the man against the stone wall, blade at the intruder's throat and ready to kill with a flick of the wrist. Dilandau seized the man's collar and pushed him hard, snarling a threat that made the man quake. 

"What the hell do you think you're doing here, you-" His eyes widened, and the sword fell to the floor with a loud clang. Dilandau backed several feet away, breath coming in short gasps and shock numbing his senses.

"...M-Migel..? " The boy rubbed his throat nervously, nodding and trying to salute and look brave at the same time.

"Migel Labariel, reporting for duty, Sir!" Dilandau continued to stare, pale and shaken as he stared at the boy in front of him- a boy who was supposed to be dead- and said the only thing that came to his mind:

"At ease, soldier." They stood staring at each other for several seconds until Celena popped her head out and saw them. She frowned when she saw Dilandau just standing there, dumbstruck, and chided him.

"Aren't you at least going to say something? For Gods' sakes, Dilandau, this is a big moment and all you can say is, 'at ease soldier'?? Get in here! Before Allen comes snooping!!" She grabbed him, yanked him in the door, did the same with Migel, and closed the door with a quiet but solid 'click'. Dilandau's eyes took several moments to adjust, but when they did he lost control of his breath and began to sway. Hitomi appeared out of nowhere and ushered him to a chair, a big grin on her face. Celena came and stood over him. "Well??" she demanded impatiently. Dilandau stared past her, and answered in a soft voice, 

"I think I need a shot of something very strong. No, make that a bottle." She shook her head, 'tsk'ing and pointing to a bottle she'd set aside for that very purpose. Pouring him a drink as the boy handed it to her, she scolded him like a mother hen would her chick.

"You need to find a different way of dealing with stress, Dilandau. Drinking will get you into an early grave." He took the 

shot with unsteady hands, and stared at the boy who'd given Celena the bottle.

"Ch-Chesta?" The blonde boy smiled and nodded cheerfully, then remembered himself and pulled himself to attention.

"Sir! Ready for your command, Sir!" The whole room echoed the "Sir!" , and Dilandau stood, drawing himself up to inspect them all. He frowned, and began to call roll-call.

"Migel!"

"Present, Sir!"

"Gatti!"

"Awaiting orders, Sir!"

"Viole!"

"Sir!"

"Chesta!"

"Here, Sir!"

"Guimel!"

"Here, Lord Dilandau!"

"Dalet!"

"Present and accounted for, Sir!"

"Ryuuon!"

"Ready to serve and protect you, Sir!"

"Biore!"

"My blades are ready, Sir!"

"Shoji!"

"I'm here, Sir!"

"Maveric!"

"Yo!" Several dirty looks were thrown his way, but the brunette shrugged with a smile. "I mean, Yo Sir!" Dilandau ignored the comment.

"Talin!"

"Ready to give my life for you again, Sir!"

"Aaron!" 

"Here!" The twins giggled as they both answered at once, Erin poking her brother in the ribs. 

"He called me, stupid."

"No, he meant me!"

"Terra!"

"Team's spirits high, Sir!"

  
  


"Refina!"

"..."

"Refina!" All looked over the room for her, and Celena coughed softly.

"She decided to protect Folken, in case something happened." Dilandau stared at her.

"Folken? He's back as well??"

"Yes, Lord Dilandau. We are all back, and we have the ladies Celena, Hitomi and Merle to thank for that." The beast-man gave a warm look to the girls who stood silent by the lineup, then returned his look back to his former charge. "Jajuka, reporting for duty, Lord Dilandau!" Dilandau fell into the chair, and waved them at ease. The group relaxed, then cautiously made their way closer to their captain. Gatti, one of the only ones brave enough to confront their lord, stood and saluted in front.

"Sir! Permission to speak freely, Sir?"

"What is it, Gatti?"

"Sir! Thank you, Sir! It is good to see you again, Sir!" Dilandau looked up at them all, and Gatti balked.

"Uh... that's all, Sir!"

Dilandau stood tall in front of them, then he locked eyes with Hitomi. "You. How?"

"Pendant, a lot of will power, and several botched practice runs the past few nights. We were abut to give up when the sorcerer let something slip about how you have to be focusing your will power on the moons. After that, it was easy!" She smiled, then continued. "Besides, I owed you, remember? You brought me here, and then you rescued me! I thought I might at least give it a try, and seeing as how things are slightly shaky and Gaia could use a force of trained soldiers to keep the peace, I thought it would be perfect! So, we brought them here. They haven't aged because they didn't have a body to get older in like you. So, you're two years older, but Celena didn't think you'd care too much. And we had to borrow some of Allen's clothes, but we figured he wouldn't mind." Dilandau looked over his men and noticed for the first time how they'd been garbed in various Asturian clothes- many frilly and with puffed sleeves- and that many did not care for the attire at all. He bit down a smirk and turned to the boys again.

"Men!" They all straightened up again, wary of his temper and volatile moods. He looked at them and laughed, then held up the bottle he'd been unconsciously rubbing while trying to sort things out. "I don't know what to say, how to act, or if I'm just hallucinating the whole thing. So, awake or not, listen up, because I'm only going to say this once!" All straightened a little more, unsure what this new emotion was- a complete lapse of sanity or something he'd learned from 'Lady Celena'. Dilandau's smile grew.

"I'm glad to have you all back. That's as mushy as I'm ever going to get with you incompetents, so grab a shot glass and we'll celebrate. If this is all part of a dream, then let's at least make it memorable. And", he said, wagging a finger at the group, "if I hear one word of what I just said repeated, I'll make you wish you were dead again! Chesta!"

"Sir?"

"Drinks for everyone, see to it. The twins will help you, and Maveric, you will be in charge of guard duty. If you're all still here in the morning, we'll think of what that means for all of us. In the meantime, lets get plastered!" He poured the shots while Chesta and the twins distributed them, and a full blown party was quickly underway. Allen came down to investigate the noise, only to find fifteen people who were supposed to be dead getting drunk on some of his best wine and wearing some of his old clothes. He was about to run to town and get a priest to exorcize the house when Dilandau challenged him to a drinking match and taunting him with comments on his manliness and drink capacity. So, against his better judgment, Allen accepted the match and the rest of the night was a blur for everyone in the household, as the servants and Crusaders followed the noise and were soon enveloped in the din. Needless to say, everyone had a smashing time, and very few remembered much of what happened after midnight. 

  
  
  
  


`*'AN- Dilly's new hairstyle is his movie hairdo. I like that look better than his kwaii hair/bangs flippy thing- gomen, all of you who liked it. You can pretend he looks the same as the series, nk? But in my character sketches, he looks like Movie Dilly. Yummm.... ^_^

  
  


....So? What d'yall think? Gimme feedback on this, I'm kinda nervous about it... Also, this chapter has taken an insanely long amount of time, so I doubt I'll be able to finish it before I go to Otakon next week! YAAAAAY OTAKON! Anyone else going? I'll be cosplaying as Sora from the Esca movie, so if you see me, say, ' hey, Sir Lady Sketch!" ^_^ K, now, on a more serious note, anyone who's having problems w/ the fic, plot wise, detail wise, anything, write to me, nk? I'm going to be posting an Epilogue/Sneak Preview/ QandA chapter after the next one. So, if you want to know why I changed two of the 'slayers names, or why I haven't talked much about Merle, or whatever, write to me, and I'll post and answer, k? My email is SirLadySketch@hotmail.com Lemme know what you think, my baby's almost growed up!! *sniffu* Ja ne! 7-19-02 ~SLS~


	11. Visions of the Future

* Ok everyone, this is it!! Last chapter of "Through the Glass!!" I'm not going to answer any of the questions in your reviews for 2 reasons: 1. You'll see shortly for yourself, 2. I need SOMETHING to put down/ answer in my Q&A section after Epilogue, before sneak preview. Send me all the stupid questions you can think of- ask me my favourite type of cheese, anything, just ask me something!! ..Yeah.. Anyways, last chapter. Things are cleared up, the Fate of Celena and Dilandau decided, Plans for what lies ahead are made. Minna-san, I give you the conclusion of "Through The Glass"! Enjoy! ~SLS~*

  
  


Visions of the Future

  
  
  
  


When Dilandau awoke, he was all alone in his chambers. The sun was shining, birds were singing, and he felt like he had a hangover that could rival the destruction of Atlantis. He sat up grogily, and tried to recall the events from the previous night. Had he been partying? He vaguely remembered becoming extremely elated, then extremely drunk afterwards, but he couldn't quite remember why exactly he'd done so. He also felt sore and bruised, as though he'd been tossed and beaten about by sparring male dragons in mating season. Then, memories of the night started to come back to him. Celena promising he'd see his men again, the kidnaping of Celena and Hitomi, then his battle with the sorcerer. That was why he felt like shit. He'd been picked off the ground and thrown into trees, burned, drenched, electrocuted, and zapped by that damned Rusent jerk's magic. Dilandau winced as he reached down and felt the bandaged slice a rock had given him as it was hurtled through the air at him. But even as he winced, his lip curled into a grim smile. He closed his eyes, replaying the death of the sorcerer once his magic had run out, and the slow recompense and revenge he'd gotten before Rusent succumbed to his wounds and died. Though she had seen all of his previous battles and his finest glories, he would not let her see this. Celena would never see what Dilandau had done to the sorcerer; he would not burden her with the details of his cold reality of hatred and bloodlust. He opened his eyes again, and stood, somewhat shakily. Though the attack on the sorcerer explained why he felt like kneaded dough, he still couldn't figure out the hangover part. Had he celebrated with Celena the passing of the Sorcerer? No, she'd never let him near her again if he'd told her what he'd done. Had he finally been able to pick the lock to Allen's prized vino stash? But there would have been bottles thrown or smashed about in the room, and the room was clean and fresh. He had some blurry memories of seeing the Dragonslayers again and then partying long into the night, but that'd just been a hallucination of some sort; a manifestation of his hopeless wishes. What then? 

He sat down on the bed again, trying to think and wishing it wasn't so very difficult. He kneaded his head with both palms, trying to ease out the tension and overall throbbing sensation, but not making much of an impact. He looked to his bedside table to drink more of the tonic the household's nurse had given him, then suddenly everything made perfect sense. The bottle was near empty, and she'd told him not to drink more than a few sips, or he'd regret it. Well, the few sips hadn't worked, and it'd taken most of the bottle to make his bruised limbs feel mostly a part of himself. He'd fallen asleep on his bed, and the bottle had given him the hangover from Hell. Some medicine. He drained the rest of the bottle and decided that he wouldn't grace the household with his presence today, rolling back onto the bed and throwing an arm over his eyes, trying to block the invading light. He was almost back to his medicine-induced sleep when there was a soft knock on his door. He mumbled to them to go away unless they wanted their head torn off, and turned over, pulling the covers over his head. The knocker seemed slightly taken aback by this warning, and there was blissful silence for several minutes before another rap on the door was sounded, this time more persistent. He shouted at them to leave him alone, and the knocking got louder still. Throwing the blankets off of himself, he got up with a roar and tore the door open, teeth bared and ready to bite the head off whoever was stupid enough to bother him. He was ready to look up and see an idiot like Teo, Gaddess, or one of the other lunkheads who consisted of Allen's posse, but instead was forced to look down. The threat he'd had broke in his throat, and Guimel cleared his throat softly.

"F-forgive me, L-lord Dilandau. I- I didn't want to disturb you sir, b-but S-SirAllen demanded I bring you to him. Lady Celena was going to come, but Sir Allen forbid her, and he told me to c-come. Forgive me, Lord Dilandau!" The boy saluted, and Dilandau stared at him for a several minutes. He looked at the bottle of medicine he hadn't bothered to put down again, then he looked back at Guimel. The young slayer gulped and tried not to run or shake in his borrowed an too-large boots. Dilandau raised a hand, and the boy winced, expecting a slap. Instead, the hand came down to rest on Guimel's shoulder, and he opened his eyes to see his superior still staring down at him, though he didn't seem as upset as before. Instead, a slight smile tried to keep itself from creeping across Dilandau's face. Instead of a sharp reprimand, curse, or order, Dilaandau allowed his smirk to spread as he said, " 

"Good to see you, Sheep-boy." Guimel's eyes widened, and he blinked, trying to see if he'd heard his captain correctly.

"S-sir?" Dilandau raised an eyebrow, irritation begining to take the place of the smug smile.

"You heard me, soldier. Now, take me to where Allen is waiting." Guimel's eyes snapped back to attention, and he stood taller, saluting again.

"Sir!!" Guimel quickly turned and led Dilandau back along the twisted corridors of the mansion, responding to Dilandau's questions as best as he could.

"Sir, we don't know how it happened. One moment we were fighting, there was a flash of pain, and then there was nothing. I can vaguely recall a road of some sort, but it's all fairly hazy. The next thing I know, I'm standing next to Dalet, and Gatti and Migel were getting into clothes that Lady Celena had ready for us. The rest of the unit began to appear, and we all tried to figure out if we were all really back or not. Then, Lady Celena said that she'd brought us back using the power of Atlantis to help protect Gaia. The other and me, well Sir, we all talked before you came and before Migel went to go get you. We all agreed, Sir, that we would die again to protect you, and that no one would be able to harm you. We are in your debt, Sir, forever. You have given us our lives again, and for that we will-"

"You don't owe me anything."

"But Sir-!!"

"You owe the Lady Celena, Lady Hitomi, and Lady Merle for your lives. I had nothing to do with it. But," he admitted, going through the door Guimel held open for him, "that does not mean that I am not grateful for what they have done. If we all survive this, we'll we them our lives." 

  
  


They entered the room, and Dilandau felt a wave of surprise wash over him. He knew that they'd all been actual, living, breathing bodies when he saw Guimel outside his door, but he couldn't help feeling some shock at the sight of his fifteen trusted slayers, Jajuka, and Folken standing in the room. They stood in a nervous bunch, talking in low voices and sending looks over in the direction of Allen-

Dilandau stopped short when he saw the knight, and burst out laughing immediately. Allen scowled, running his fingers through his hair and trying to primp away what three bottles, six shots, and a sip of the strongest drink in the house had done to his usually perfect looks. The knight look horrible, eyes dark and face pale, hair sticking this way and that, and rumpled clothes bearing witness to his adventures of sleeping on the couch in his clothes. The bloodshot eyes glared at Dilandau as he continued to chuckle, and Allen growled angrily.

"Shut up Albatou." Dilandau quieted down, though he continued to wear a grin on his face. He looked over at his men, who also had the shadows of hangovers on their faces. They all straightened, saluted, and looked nervous. Dilandau turned his gaze to Folken, who looked as he always had, though without his cloak. Dilandau didn't remember seeing Folken at the festivities, and then remembered that it was because he'd been up with his brother. Red eyes went to Van, who sat silent and unreadable in the loveseat with Hitomi. Neither had the look of a hangover, and Dilandau felt a fleeting pang of bitterness knowing that Van hadn't woken up with a hangover. He soon forgot it when he looked over to Celena, who sat straight and still in her chair, gaze down and expression serious, almost pained. She sat next to Allen on the large couch, Allen still glaring at Dilandau, but had given up trying to primp. 

"Sit down, Dilandau. We need to talk." Dilandau sneered, but sat down, eyes on Celena. She didn't look up as he sat across from them, nor did she speak or answer his silent questions.

  
  


//Celena? What's wrong?//

  
  


"Now, Dilandau, kindly explain why you have done this. Celena told me that you had nothing to do with it, but I know you. What did you do? Did you bribe the sorcerer? What did you do, Albatou??" Allen sounded angry, and Celena put a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him and whispering to him; telling him again that Dilandau had nothing to do with it. Allen shrugged her off, and glared at Dilandau, who stared back with equal amnesty.

  
  


"I did nothing, as your sister said. Perhaps you should listen to her-"

"What did you do, Dilandau??"

"Nothing, Allen. The fate of the sorcerer doesn't matter, only that he has embraced it and not even the power of Atlantis can bring him back, even if someone wanted him back. If *you* have said anything to Celena, or punished her for my actions, I swear I'll-"

"Quiet!" Celena's voice choked back tears, and she sat down again, looking back at her hands. She began to pick at a nail, upset and afraid. "Dilandau... Allen brought you here to tell you that-"

"I've written to the King and Queen of Asturia of your presence here. Millerna herself is coming to speak with the sorcerer. I want to know what I'm going to tell her when she finds seventeen people who were suppossed to be dead walking around in my old clothes, and where she's going to have to send troops to send what remains of Rusent back to Cyriell. You will have to prepare yourself to pay for your crimes, and pray that Queen Millerna will be more merciful than her father was with war criminals. What has happened here will not be tolerated; I am grateful for you rescuing Celena, but-"

"Shut up Allen. Don't talk, you're making things worse." The blonde looked over at his sister, who seemed to be getting angry with him, and she began to sit straighter, defiance in her eyes. He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off.

"You've gotten all of us mixed up in this mess; and as it's your fault, so you could at least have the decency to allow me to talk uninterrupted. Now, as I have said several times, I talked with Hitomi and Merle, and despite what everyone wishes to think, Gaia is not stable, and nothing has really changed at all. The Sorcerers are still trying to take over the world, governments are still corrupt, Gaia's wounds are still healing, but they cannot when no one will acknowledge them. I did what I thought was for the best of Gaia- what she needs is an elite force of soldiers to keep the peace and get rid of those who would destroy the balance of nature and mankind. The dragonslayers fulfil all the requirements of what is needed, and I did what I thought would fix the problems. I do not regret my actions, and I will say so to Queen Millerna. Don't patronize me, Allen. I'm not stupid, nor will I let you kill my slayers. And I doubt that Van will allow you to do anything to Folken." She smiled over at Van, who glanced over at his brother. Folken blinked in response to Celena's comment, but remained silent. Dilandau chuckled, proud that Celena had the guts to stand up to Allen.

"Well, Allen, looks like we're not as opposite as you would have hoped-"

"You keep out of this. Celena, I have heard your side of the story several times, and I have nothing to say further on the matter. I called you all here to tell you that Queen Millerna will be here this afternoon, and that we will discuss what will be your fate. If you want fortune to smile upon you, I suggest you don't do anything that will anger the Queen. When Millerna has her answer, we will call you back and you will abide by her decision. Do you understand?" Gatti stepped forward, challengingly.

"We will not let you hurt Lord Dilandau, Knight! We will give our lives again for our patron, and we will not let any harm come to him!" The slayers stepped forward threateningly, surrounding Dilandau's chair and looking tense and alert. The Crusaders drew their weapons, and formed their own circle around Allen, Van, Hitomi and Merle. Merle's tail thrashed around angrily, and she hissed at the two groups.

"You're all being stupid! Why can';t you all just sit down and behave? Listen to Celena, she has a really good plan and-"

"I regret, Lady Merle, that Lady Celena's plan will not be accepted by a majority of the world's population. Though I am not a warrior, nor a politician, I can see that you all looked over one very important factor in this; Lady Celena herself will be put on trial, if not as a cause at least as an accomplice to our crimes." The room fell silent, and Celena laughed it off weakly.

"I know, Folken, but I will stay by what I think is right. So help me, I will see this through to the end." Folken bowed to her then, graceful and smooth, and Dilandau noticed for the first time the ex-sorcerer was missing- or rather, had gotten back- his right arm. No clawlike structure was to be seen, instead the Fanelian Prince was full flesh. Dilandau also noted with some irritation that the man was being very smooth, almost flirty with Celena. Anger boiled in his gut, but Dilandau kept his tongue, his mind trying to sort out everything else. Folken was swearing fealty to Celena, Hitomi, and Merle, and to his surprise and satisfaction, he heard his slayers do the same. Dilandau closed his eyes and ignored Allen's protests of Celena not needing their protection, and Dilandau took that moment to stand. Dalet and Refina moved aside, and the two adversaries faced each other, though Dilandau still kept his eyes closed. 

"Allen." His voice was soft, non-violent, and eerily calm in this argument- especially for him. He opened his eyes, and locked them into the gaze of the Knight's cerulean blue. "Thank you for telling me. I will abide by whatever decision your Queen comes to, and I will see to it that my men do the same. We are sheltered in your house, clothed in your clothes, sated with your food and drink. We will honor our duty to you as our host and we will abide by your rules, and do as you wish. If any of them give you any trouble, report them to me and I will punish them." He turned to the slayers, all of whom were stunned and more than a little freaked out by their leader's odd behavior. "Do you all understand? You are to do as Allen tells you; if you do not, you will answer to me and wish you were still dead."

"Sir!" The group chorused, too afraid to disagree or question him. Dilandau turned back to Allen, and gave him a nod. Allen, who snapped out of his gape fairly quickly, nodded as well, then stood.

"Thank you, Dilandau. I trust your word, and I do not think that I am wrong in doing so. I will send for you later this evening when Millerna has decided. Van, please come with me, I need to speak with you." Van stood, looking at Merle and Hitomi mostly Hitomi , and then followed the knight out the door. The Crusaders followed out, though a few still stayed in the hall outside the room. Celena stood to speak with Dilandau and Folken, but Van called his brother from the hall, and Folken left after kissing Celena's hand. Dilandau resisted the urge to take the leg from the small coffee table to beat Folken with for being so pathetically soppy, and left before Folken, off to sulk in the gardens by himself. Celena frowned, then looked at the others, shaking her head as she looked them over.

"You all need to lighten up. Dilandau knows what he's doing, and I know Allen's being an ass, but... Please don't try to kill him. I don't want to have to get married yet." A few soft chuckles come from the group- the boys who had been raised in noble houses knew what she meant by forced marriage, and knew how a noble woman had very little to do with choosing her husband. She looked over them again, and frowned. "You can relax, you know, just think of me as Dilandau's ... hmmm..... sister, I guess. Actually, that might give you the wrong impression, because he can be a hard-ass sometimes. Think of me as a.... I dunno, just don't be so bloodly formal, it's giving me the creeps. You, Dalet, come here!" Dalet stepped forward- well, actually he was pushed forward by several comrades giving him leering smiles- and he tired not to balk.

"Lady Celena?" She frowned, looking him over, going around and squinting as though she didn't like what she saw. He began to sweat, nervous and not at all his usual confident and flirty self.

"You, sir, need to relax. You're messing up your hair." Dalet's hand went to his hair unconsciously, and she giggled, grinning. 

"Like I said, relax. You all need to try to calm down, you look like you're getting frisked. Have you any thoughts on what I said? Or anything about this whole thing?" Ryuuon stepped forward, and looked around for support.

"I think, Miss Celena-"

"Call me Celena."

"I think that none of us know what exactly to do, but I don't think that we can stay here for very long. No one will have mercy on us, and I don't think I just speak for myself when I say I don't want to die again for a long time." The group nodded, and the twins stepped forward.

"We could try a stunt like we could pretend we were kidnaping you-"

"But we wouldn't really be hurting you we'd just say we would to get to the woods-"

"So then we could make it by ourselves. We could make it-"

"But we need to get away from here, not matter what." Chesta stepped forward, shy and quiet, yet adamant.

"We promised we would follow Allen's wishes, he told us to stay here. I think it would be wiser to stay here, and try to win sympathy for our case." Migel nodded.

"I think it'd be best if we stayed, Ryuuon. I don't feel safe here either, but... We could do worse, you know." Viole frowned, looking down.

"I also wonder of Lord Dilandau. Lady Celena, please, is he... alright? He's acting very... peculiarly..." She sighed, then gave them a smile.

"He'll never say what he said last night again, but I'm telling you now: he missed you all very much. He will do what he thinks will keep you all safe, including give his own life for you. He's different from the Dilandau you knew- he's a bit saner, and he shows his emotion more frequently- something he got from me, I'm afraid. But know this; he will never abandon you, nor will he let anything happen while he lives. I wish I had half the bravery he did sometimes, but... I'm glad he's here. I'm also glad you're here, because... I feel like you're a part of me too- you grew up with Dilandau, and you were friends with him before you were his soldiers. Know that I too will do what I can to help you, but you must be patient."

"We will do what you say, Celena, we owe you our lives, and you already have our loyalty through courage and kindness. Please, if there is something we can do for you, tell us, and we will do all in our power to aid you." She ran over to the dogman and gave him a hug, squeezing him tightly.

"I missed you all.... more than you'll know... But, enough of this sentimental stuff," she said, wiping her eyes across her sleeve in a manner that would appall Allen. She giggled, then grabbed Dalet by the wrist, pulling him out the door.

"We're going to have some fun! C'mon! Merle, Hitomi, help me!! Dalet, it's your lucky day!! We're going to make you look pretty!!" The poor slayer was dragged out of the room by Merle and Celena with such a force that he almost fell on his face. Hitomi sighed, then noticed the three women slayers were looking at her nervously. Refina stepped forward.

'Kanzaki- Did Lord Dilandau actually.... Did he really say that he missed us? A lot?" Hitomi smiled, and nodded. The women blushed, and Hitomi realized that the three of them probably had it bad for Dilandau, and that they were jealous of Celena's closeness to their patron and the apple of their eyes. She took it on herself then and there to befriend them, seeing as they were the most recluse of the group and didn't seem to like Celena as much as the boys did. They chatted as they followed the train of slayers towards the flower gardens; Celena's beauty parlor for Dalet. When they got there, Dalet, Chesta, Gatti, and Biore had pretty flower crowns on their heads, Chesta and Biore blushing, Gatti bearing it stoically, and Dalet admiring the handywork, though fretting about his hair. Jajuka had the luck of not only having a crown, but two bracelets and a ring as well. Merle's quick fingers wove the flowers Celena picked, and the two were able to hunt down and capture their victims- a kind of tag, though instead of being out, you were forced to wear a flower crown. Anyone who didn't want to wear one was threatened with claws and a threat of Dilandau, and so the boys enjoyed the simple- if bizzare- way Celena tried to calm them down. They stopped when they saw they royal carriage of Asturia pull up, and Allen, Van, and Folken stepped out to greet the Queen. Millerna, upon seeing Folken, fainted dead away and was carried into the house by Allen. Van stopped, looked at them briefly, then followed inside. Celena stopped, and stared at the house.

"Now we wait... Jajuka, what do you think will happen..?" The dogman shook his head, holding her hand in his large paw and patting it consolingly.

"I don't know, Celena. We can only hope for the best, things will work out in the end."

  
  
  
  


Despite the fact that their lives depended on the queen's graces, the slayers tried to enjoy themselves by taking a tour of the grounds of the mansion, then they ate a picnic lunch out in Celena's prize gardens, with Pandora begging meat from anyone who would share. Then, she tried relaxing them by reminding them of happier times; funny dorm stories, botched missions, practical jokes played on General Adolfus., and, of course, the fate-enhanced socks. Hitomi and Merle giggled as they listened, and time began to pass more quickly. Chesta was in the middle of a tale of Dilandau attempting to bake cookies but instead ended up burning half the kitchen down when Dilandau stepped up, glaring at Chesta, The slayer squeaked and sat still, eyes bugging out. Dilandau sat down and finished the story, then told them an embarrassing story of Celena's childhood, making her blush and counter with a story of how he'd received a love letter from a secret admirerer, only to find out it was from one of the general's six year old's. Dilandau glared at her, a flush in his cheeks, but laughed all the same, and was about to counter when something caught his eye. He scooped it up, then tossed it to her. She squealed and held it up to Jajuka, grinning. 

"Want to have snails for dinner tonight, Jajuka??" He shook his head, and the crown fell off, flowers wilted and breaking. Several of the boys realized they hadn't removed their own crowns and laughed as they took them off, trying to straighten hair, or bangs or pick petals out of their hair. Celena giggled, then stopped, looking at the house. 

"Folken is coming out... What does that mean, Dilandau? Is the meeting over, or are they just taking a break?" Dilandau didn't answer, but stood and met Folken halfway. The group grew silent, and Dilandau returned in a moment, face grim.

"They've made their decision, and they want us all in."

"Does Folken know...?"

"No."

Celena looked at Folken, who's face was pale and very tired. She walked over to him and took his hand, smiling and trying to give him encouragement.

"Don't worry, Folken, I'm sure you'll be fine." He gave her a flicker of a smile, , but his lips remained tightly pressed togther. She looked down.

"It didn't go well, then?" Folken shrugged, and they all trudged on, into the house and past the Crusaders keeping guard. Celena felt almost as though they were walking towards an executioner's room, these their last moments of life. She squeezed Folken's hand again, drawing strength from his presence. They all took a deep breath to brace themselves, and then walked into the room.

  
  


I have to admit, I felt sick when I saw the grim expressions on Millerna's, Allen's, and Van's faces. Folken released my hand and walked to stand by his brother, but not before whispering a soft thank you to me. I suppose I wasn't the only one drawing on strength from contact. Hitomi sat down by Van, Merle dragged Dalet, Gatti and Chesta over to sit with her. The twins Erin and Aaron chose to stand with Biore and Viole behind Merle and her captives. Migel, Guimel, Shoji, and Maverick stood behind my chair, Ryuuon stood by the door, Refina and Terra sat next to Hitomi. Talin paced back and forth by the door. Dilandau, in all his out of character calmness, sat near me and across from Millerna. He even bowed to her, which I thought was gentlemanly of him. Though he probably did it only to be a suck up, and he'd never do anything to suck up unless he thought there was no hope. He murmured greetings to them, then sat, waiting for Allen to begin. Allen had cleaned himself up dramatically from this morning, and he no longer looked like a wraith from Hell on a makeup trip. His hair was back to it's perfection state, and his clothes had been changed. I looked down at my own grass-stained clothes and wondered if I should have changed for the queen, even though we'd become fairly close friends in the past two years. Friendships couldn't stand in the way of her duty to her country, and Millerna took her job seriously. It was that determination that had awarded her with the return of Dryden- though, personally, I didn't care for him much; he scared me at times, always asking questions then looking at me funny. If I was him, I'd probably look at me funny too, but Millerna had been different. She'd helped me recover, and she'd given me the feeling that I really did belong- more or less- to Asturia. Would she think of our past conversations and remember me kindly? I prayed for a miracle, and Millerna was the one to begin.

  
  


"I just want to star by saying that on behalf of Asturia- no, Gaia in general- what is about to be said will remain strictly confidential and will not be talked about outside of this room." I blinked- I hadn't expected her to say anything like that, and it made me wonder what kind of agreement had been made. No one looked particularly happy, so why bother us with warnings? Why not just get it over with? Millerna began again, and I snapped to attention, hanging on her every word.

"As you all may or may not know, the death of Dornkirk and the destruction of Zaibach's many factories left it a barren country where there was little to profit off of. The sorcerers of the countries fled, seeking shelter and status in the developing territories to the south of the borders. Rusent- the sorcerer sent here by the medical committee of the Zaibach 'healers'- was from one of the larger countries to the south, a place called Cyriell. It's a small country whose resources are just beginning to be delved into, and it will almost definitely become a major power of Gaia within ten years. However, the royalty of Cyriell is growing weaker as the sorcerers grow stronger. I fear that without the threat of a large and powerful nation to keep them in check, they will soon try to reclaim their old lands in Zaibach, hence ruling almost half the main continent. This is where you all come in." I could see everyone almost slide forward in their seats or lean in closer where they stood to her what she had to say. It almost sounded as though she was asking for their help....

"Zaibach is struggling to stay a country; she needs a leader who is intelligent and trusted by her people. Folken is a brilliant scientist, and he is known as the hero who helped purge the country of the sorcerers; a man who gave his life for the good of the world. It's true, many will not accept him at first, because he did kill Dornkirk. But given some time, I know he can win the hearts of his people, and become a good king to lead Zaibach to a more peacful and prosperous nation." Several slayers openly gaped, Hitomi hugged Van fiercely, Folken stood speechless. Van took over for Millerna.

"We don't have enough resources to watch over Zaibach from where we are. We've sent committees, counselors, even minor royalty to try to keep the peace, but there are riots and famines, and no one can keep it under control. We think that you would be best suited for the job- monitored, of course, by selected counselors of the various countries- and using some of the technology adopted from Zaibach, we were able to contact most of the major leaders of the world nations. They approve, on several conditions of ambassadors, the counselors, status reports and so on. But we'll go into more detail on that later. There's still more to go over." The slayers and I gulped- despite my pride and joy for Folken, I still feared what my men's fates would be. Would Van kill them mercilessly again? Or would they spare them, like they did Folken? And what about Dilandau? I cast a look over at him, and he sat, reclined as though relaxed, but I could see the tension in him. I could also feel it- I couldn't hear his thoughts, because he was blocking me out- but I could feel fear, apprehension, and, I was surprised, some resignation. Was he giving up already? I snapped back my attention to Allen as he spoke.

"We also talked to them about the dragonslayers, and what we should do with them. The Duke of Freid, whom we all thought would oppose the idea of their part in the renaissance of Zaibach, actually suggested that they be put under Folken to serve him as an elite force. You have all been pardoned- the leaders agree that your sins were atoned for when you died in battle. You will no longer be the Dragonslayers, however, as they are no longer needed, and hunting down Van will be a sure and quick way down the path of your destruction. You will be called the Sorcererslayers, as your tasks will be hunting down the last of the sorcerers and stopping whatever plans they have. You will also be the main line of defense for the castle of Zaibach- it won't be as grand as Dornkirk's fortress, but the castle is already underway and nearing it's halfway mark of completion. With some encouragement form their new leader, I'm sure efforts will be redoubled. I'm sure you won't find any problems in defense or your positions, but if you do you may address Folken and his counselors, and they will see what they can do to make your job more suited for your skills. Are there any questions?" Migel stpped forward bodly.

"What about Lord Dilandau? We won't serve anyone but him!" Shouts of agreement echoed this, and Millerna looked to Allen. I could feel my stomach churn as they exchanged that look. * Oh gods no... Don't take him from me....* Van cleared his throat, and answered very softly.

"They did not believe that Dilandau is exempt from his crimes. They thought that because he did not die, that he never really paid for his sins, and therefore must do so." I could see him close his eyes, and that look of resignation came over him again. I wanted to run over and shake him out of it, tell him to run, but I found I was beaten to it when Maverick leapt across the room, gathered Hitomi in his arms and pulled a knife out of heavens knows where and held it to her neck. 

"We won't let you hurt Lord Dilandau!! Please, Lord Dilandau, get out of here while you still can-" 

  
  


SMACK!! 

  
  


Maverick released Hitomi and fell to his knees, clutching at his cheek where he'd been struck. Dilandau stood over him, eyes blazing in fury, hand still raised. His voice was even and soft, which made it actually very threatening sounding instead of calming.

"Did I not say that we would accept the judgments, Maverick? Do you dare go against my word? Do you wish to show them insubordination now, at your moment of freedom? I have accepted my fate, you can deal with it too. If you can't, you don't deserve the right to be called a slayer. I begin to question that even now, seeing as you used a woman as a shield and using others as shield sis a sign of weakness. Remember that, all of you. Now," he said, turning to Van again, " what were you saying?" Van looked from Hitomi, to Dilandau, to Maverick, back to Hitomi, then to Allen and Millerna. Allen took over again.

"They believed that you had not paid for your sins. They wanted a public trial and then a public execution- probably a hanging. But...." Allen looked at Millerna again, who nodded then looked at Van. Van was stroking Hitomi's hair absently, focusing his attention to his boots. Allen waited, then finished his sentence. "But Van was able to convince them to pardon you." I think I swooned right there, because the next thing I knew, Chesta was fanning me and Terra was slapping my cheeks, Allen hovering in the background. I pushed them away, embarrassed, and looked at Allen again.

"What did you say? I kinda got caught up in the moment." Allen smiled, and repeated what he'd said.

"Van was able to convince them to pardon Dilandau." I looked at Van and stared- probably something a Lady shouldn't do when in the presence of royalty and at such an important event and everything, but I didn't care. Then I did something that was probably forbidden in all contexts of manners- again, I didn't care- and I threw my arms around Van, hugging him. After a few awkward moments, I pulled myself off of him and he smiled to me.

"You're welcome, Celena. Though, I didn't really do much." Allen shook his head, and Millerna mimicked this action.

"He's just being modest. He told them about you two- what you had gone through and everything- and then how things began to happen recently with your dreams and everything, then about how you summoned Hitomi, and how you split, and then how the sorcerer was killed-By the by, where *is* the body, Dilandau?" Dilandau, who hadn't moved from his spot over Maverick, suddenly flinched.

"There isn't anything left. Except his head, but that's because it rolled into the bushes and I couldn't find it. The rest was obliterated by one of the sorcerer's own tricks- I won't go into details because it is not something I wish to recall, nor do I wish to describe. Leave it at that, and you'll not regret it." Millerna looked at him for a moment, then decided to take his advice.

"So, he told them everything, and when they asked him if he thought you were the same, he said no. When they asked if you were trustworthy, he said you were honest at least, and you always followed through with what you swore. After a few more battles back and forth, they agreed that you should be given another chance- but you still had to pay for what you'd done. So, your punishment is still being decided on, but you will be given the command of the Sorcererslayers, and you will be General Albatou instead of Captain. There aren't enough military minds to go around to send someone to be in charge of the military in Zaibach, so you'll be monitored by Folken's counselors as well. What do you have to say to that, Dilandau?" Dilandau stood motionless for several minutes, staring at Van. Then, he shook his head and let out a deep breath.

"The only thing I *can* say is... thank you. We will not fail you, nor will you be disappointed in our efforts. Zaibach will return to glory, only this time we won't try to destroy or take over the world."He looked at Van with a slight twinkle in his eyes, though his mouth was even. "We will also give up our hobby of Dragon hunting, though I must say we'll miss it. Sorcerers won't be as much fun as Dragons, but we'll get used to it." Van's arms went around Hitomi, and everyone smiled. So there was going to be a happy ending after all!! A hand came to rest on my shoulder, and I looked up to smile at Folken's face, butterflies in my stomach. He was not smiling however, he was looking next to me at Allen, a frown on his handsome face. 

  
  


"What about Celena?"

  
  


The room was silent, then everyone was looking at me. Yeah, what about me? I looked at Allen, and he smiled, kissing the top of my head.

  
  


"She will stay with me; this is her home, and I cannot lose her yet." I had a mixture of relief followed by regret that I would not be joining my boys and yet happiness that Allen wanted me to stay with him a bit longer. So he wouldn't try to marry me off immediately!! I smiled, and hugged him fiercely, then got up and threw my arms around Dilandau, who was still standing slightly stunned in the same spot. I took him by surprise, and we both fell to the floor with a thud. We celebrated for the second night in a row that night- though not quite as recklessly as the previous night, and I felt happy and tingly the whole evening- I'd kissed all the boys on the cheeks, hugged the three girls, danced with Folken, and thoroughly embarrassed Dilandau and Allen. That night, when things began to wind down again, I went to bed thinking of the future, and all that it might bring. It wouldn't be easy, the sorcerers were out there, and there were civil wars going on in Zaibach- Folken would have his hands full, but I knew he could do it. I was so proud of them, so proud of all of them. I wrote a quick note in my journal before blowing out all my candles- except the one by my bed, of course- and I soon fell into a deep sleep, going to dreams of the slayers, Folken, Millerna, my Brother, and Millerna, then they faded away until I was left with my flame, my light in the dark, Dilandau, and I knew that I was never going to be alone again.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*Soooooooooooo??? Y'all like it or what? Lemme know, and send me questions or I'll hafta make up some for the epilogue. 2 chapters in one week, are y'all proud of me?? This chapter's 12 pages long, thank you very much, and I'm veyr proud of it, considering I wrote it in a sitting of about four hours, of the top of my head with very little help from my notes. Now, I'm gonna kick back, finish my costume for the contest on Saturday though maybe I'll wear it Sunday too... and watch my ultimate edition of the Esca movie... or not It's 3 AM, so I'm thinking bed is a good thing, ya know? Neways, write me : SirLadySketch@hotmail.com Let me know what you think, k? I'm aiming for 100 reviews, think we can make it? coughcoughstuffedvoteboxscough ^_^ Until after Otakon, this is SLS, signing out!* 

  
  
  
  



	12. Epilogue, FAQs, and RotH in 60 Seconds!!

Epilogue

  
  


It's amazing how quickly a month can go by. The days seemed to fly by as I enjoyed what would be the last time I would be with my boys again for who knew how long, and I was trying to enjoy every minute of it, getting to know them better as equals rather than subordinates. They were much as they were before, only a few flirted with me- namely Dalet, Migel, Gatti, and Maveric- when Dilandau wasn't around. I, in turn, tried to show them that I was like Dilandau in that I cared for them, but I wasn't about to slap them for joking around or making a mistake. Chesta was the first one to really try to befriend me- sweet, gentle Chesta who was always ready to give anyone a second chance- then Guimel, then Eric and so forth. Jajuka rarely left my side the entire time, and would chide me for my sweet tooth when I snacked, but I loved to hear his soft voice and feel that I was safe again. Allen was a good brother to me, but I never felt as protected with him around as I did with Jajuka, though I'm sure Allen could have beaten Jajuka in another fight. In all, I learned more about my slayers in those few weeks than I had in the years that we had grown- or at least, that Dilandau had grown up with them as I was a passive observer- and I knew it would be harder than ever to let them go. They promised me that they would write to me- Chesta promised cookies, and Gatti, Migel, Dalet, and Ryuuon promised to visit when they had time to see their families, Maverick promised lengthy love-letters that would make even Allen blush in shame- but it wouldn't be the same, I knew. I had begun to feel even more distant from Allen in the times I was with the slayers, and I realized one evening as I bid them goodnight that I had spent more time in my life with them than I had with Allen, and, though they were not as carefree and simple as life here, my years in Zaibach had been happier, more exciting and more fulfilling than my times sewing in the library as Allen read to me. I loved him, but I loved my slayers as well. I would miss them horribly when they were gone.

Folken was busy all the time, he had begun to accept responsibilities almost immediately after he had been given his position, and he rarely had time to spend with his brother. He'd been given a full blown account of all that had happened while he had been gone, and he later admitted to me that he didn't know how he was going to fix all the problems left behind by incompetent counselors and bloody civil wars. I tried to cheer him up by reminding him he had the slayers to help him, and that Dilandau would be able to stop most of the fights that broke out and keep the army in top shape. Folken simply laughed and said that he hoped he'd still have an army after Dilandau was done with them.

Now, I have to address some matters that had begun to tug at my mind in those days of bliss. Would Gaia be alright, after we had used the forbidden magic of Atlantis to revive soldiers who had been dead for two years? I had hoped so, but times seemed to dash my wishes as news of the death of Kriyliss' king reached Asturia, and of how the king's advisors- all of whom had happened to have been ex-sorcerers- had taken over the throne, and deemed the crown prince an outlaw and traitor, blaming the old king's death on the young boy. The child, who was no older than seven, had been found trying to escape west towards Freid, and was executed upon spot by the Magliss, a new elite force of mages who were skilled in the craft of battle magic and destructive spells. No one knew where this force had come from, but rumors spoke of an intelligent and lethal power that had been found within the bowels of the caves to the south, near the holy lands of the Dragon Clan of Lryiss. It was said to be similar to Atlantis' magic, only that instead of using willpower to grant wishes, you performed some sort of ritual and then received the power of the Gods. However, no one ever survived the reconnaissance missions to report whether this new power actually existed or not. I prayed that this whole event would just be another small error in the balances of Gaia, but in my gut I knew it was not, and I could not help but feel that it was partially my fault because I had broken the promise never to use the magic of Atlantis on Gaia again.

Many of the smaller, more 'uncivilized' peoples of the southern countries had been destroyed by the Sorcerer's new Magliss band, or forced into slavery. The people of Lryiss had been few to begin with; an attack completely wiped their culture and population out. The territories had been unified under blood and magic, becoming more and more like Zaibach had under the rule of Dornkirk. I could not help but shudder when I thought of what might happen if the sorcerers were able to retake Zaibach and gain control of the entire east side of the continent. Gaia would truly be destroyed. 

I mentioned above the Magliss, and I want to say as much as I knew at that time of their existence. Though very few who saw them fight lived to tell of it, there was concrete evidence that they did exist and that they would do anything and everything to accomplish their goal. It was rumored that they had the blood of the Gods running through their veins, thus making them nearly invincible and very powerful. Almost reminiscent of the Dragonslayers, except that the Magliss answered to the sorcerers, and that there were only about ten of them, instead of fifteen. From what I heard of them, though, one would be enough to kill an entire battalion of high rank soldiers in a matter of moments. I actually met one when I went to speak with Queen Millerna about some of the concerns the boys had had about the terms of their agreement with the combined forces of Gaia. His name was Myrth, and he told Millerna that he was sent as an ambassador of the Kingdom of Cyriell to offer a treaty of peace. Millerna told him to speak with Lord Dryden, and he went off to do so. He certainly looked like he had the blood of something powerful in him- he had pale skin and hair but vivid green eyes, and the ears of an elf. He looked to be of a frail build, though he was dressed in armor that one of the smaller slayers like Chesta or Talin would not be able to lift. In all, he was civil; he spoke to me later, and I actually found him pleasant to speak with, if a little disconcerting. However, that does not come in to this part of my story; I am getting sidetracked. Let me just say that the Magliss are similar to mercenaries, only they have something in their blood that makes them strong and quick, and that they would not easily be swayed from performing their duty. I would even venture to say, in fact, that they were much like a paler, more magic-based version of the boys, though they seemed to lack a leader like Dilandau. Myrth was probably one of the higher ranked officers, though he did not tell me much about himself and I did not press him.

Dilandau, for his part, did not speak to me much over the course of the month. I suppose it was the stress of realizing that he had some sort of punishment being created for him, and that he would not be able to control his men in the same way as before namely slapping them- I don't think he'd ever slap them again as frequently as before. At the time, however, I thought he was trying to avoid me, so I tried nagging him into speaking to me, only to get a curt reply or a vague response. It wasn't until we only had a few more days together that I realized he was trying to distance himself from me so that it wouldn't be so hard to say goodbye. It was the same time that I finally realized that we were going to be apart for the first time since we'd been merged, and I didn't know how I would deal with the emotional onslaught of losing him and being alone for the first time. When I tried to talk to him about it, he said we'd both get over it eventually and deal with it until we did. He was cold many of the times I spoke with him, but I understood how he felt and tried not to get angry with him. I did end up smacking him once or twice, but we both settled down afterwards and spoke things through. I was also surprised when I noticed Dilandau seemed cold to his now-King Folken. I didn't know what to think of this, but Hitomi told me it was probably just jealousy. But why would Dilandau be jealous of Folken? Because I used to have a crush on him, and still sort-of did? That shouldn't have bothered him so much.

Oh! Speaking of Hitomi, she and Van were engaged soon after the boys' resurrection. Their engagement was somewhat assumed, though the details that I got from Hitomi are cute- Allen said only *I* could call an event cute- but it was! It went like this:

We were all getting ready to have dinner- when I say 'we', I mean everyone; Dilandau, the boys, Folken, Allen, the Crusaders, Van, Hitomi, Merle, and of course me- and Hitomi was standing by the window, watching the Mystic Moon rise over our gardens. Van came out to get her, and put his arm around her, hugging her close- they seem to do that a lot, I wonder if *my* husband will do that?- whispering to her that dinner was ready and that she should come. She sighed, telling him ok, and gave him a hug before she started to head towards the dining room where everyone was waiting. She said that she turned around after walking for a few moments, and Van hadn't moved. There were a couple of angry rumblings from the dining room from Dilandau, but they both ignored him. Hitomi shut the door to the room, and walked over to Van, who stood standing at the window, staring at the moons as she had a few moments ago. She stopped a few feet away, worried about Van's sudden quiet and almost apprehensive manner. 

"Van...?" His brows furrowed a moment as he looked past the moons and to the stars.

"Do you...? Hitomi...do you ... Hitomi do you...?" 

"Do I what, Van?" He sighed, then looked at her, face sad. 'Puppy-dog eyes' is what Hitomi said, and I thought of the sad eyes Jajuka had always given me when he wanted to make me do something. 

"Do you regret your decision? Do you regret giving up your family, friends, everything, to come here? To come here... to me?" She laughed and hugged him again, and she gave him a small peck on the cheek.

"I miss everyone, yeah, but regret?" She looked at the moons again, then closed the curtains, giving him a smile. "No, I don't regret it Van." He relaxed then, and smiled. She said that she felt 'all-fluttery-like' when she saw his face, and then even more when he pulled her into his arms, gave her another kiss, and whispered into her ear,

"I love you, Ms. Hitomi Kanzaki." She giggled, blushed, and told him she loved him too. Then, there were more grumblings from the dining room- they were holding everyone up, making them wait to be served the soup that was undoubtedly getting cold. Van started to lead her towards the door to the dining room, then stopped. 'I'll *never*

forget the way he looked when he turned around to look at me again. It was just so... so.... ADORABLE!!!' At this point in her narration, Hitomi burst into giggles and blushes, but I managed to get the rest of the details from her. She said that Van was biting his lip when he turned again, staring at his feet.

"Hitomi....."

"Yes, Van?"

"May I call you.... Mrs. Hitomi Fanel?" 

"YES!!!!!" With that, she jumped him and they fell to the floor, laughter ringing through the mansion, and smothering the other with kisses and whispering sweet nothings and vows. An angry foot tapping on the floor brought them out of their reverie, and they looked up from their tangled position, to see Dilandau scowling down at them. His eyebrow twitched as he growled at them, and Hitomi told me that Van swore he saw fangs- I tried looking in Dilandau's mouth later on to see if this was true, but he wouldn't let me near him when I told him what I wanted, so I never got to see if they were there or not. 

"I know you're both very happy, but either get a room or come to dinner. My men and I are hungry; even if you've forgotten about dinner, the rest of us would like to eat. I'll give you two options: Either go to a room or come to dinner. If you make my dinner any later than it already is, I will make sure that my slayers will visit you during the night when you two would rather be alone. Now, are you coming, or should I tell everyone you're too busy?" They got up and followed the irritated General into the dining room, where they were congratulated and another party was thrown in their honor that night. They left early, and the next morning when they came down they'd already decided on a date for their wedding. We had yet *another* party, and the servants were beginning to grumble about all the extra work, so Allen asked the Slayers to help out with some little things around the house. Van and Hitomi spent even more time together, and they were rarely seen without a goofy grin on their face. I didn't want to ask why- I already knew and didn't want details.

She later told me it was a matter of necessity that they were married right away, but I knew they'd have gotten married quickly anyway, despite circumstances. As it was they had a small ceremony with only a few invited guests, then they threw a massive party upon their return to Fanelia, where the people were elated to find that not only had their King come back with a queen, but with a child on the way as well. Millerna and I had guessed that something like that would happen seeing how much time alone the two spent together, but at least we all knew that the child would adored by its parents and its people, as well as doted on by its uncle, Lord Folken, and its godfather, Allen. Allen had given the two his blessing, and had seemed happy enough to accept his title as 'Godfather' to the child. But, I think he felt like his love life was a disaster and that he'd never find anyone who would really appreciate and accept him for who he was. I think he was just stressed out with everything going on in his normally quiet household, and that he was over-reacting about everything. There was also "Aunt Merle", who told me that while she still loved Lord Van, she liked Hitomi and she knew that the new queen would make Lord Van happy in ways that she never would. "And besides," she told me as I helped her pack, "there are a lot of cute guys in the Slayers, maybe I'll kidnap one of them!" 

As I said, the month went by quickly, and I was awash with emotion the day the Slayers were supposed to leave. I'd made Allen throw an expensive and flamboyant farewell party for them, and I personally delivered the Slayers the short term uniforms that had been made for them until better ones could be finished. They were just blue shirts and black pants, but they all looked rather good in them, I thought. Dilandau got a red shirt and a white overcoat, which marked his rank as General, and I was very impressed to see he managed to keep it clean during the meal- I would have spilled honey or cream or something that would easily stain all over the front. The female Slayers wore outfits similar to Queen Millerna's style of clothing, and Folken was dressed in a dark blue tunic over a black shirt and black pants. He also wore a very stylish cape; a new fashion from up north that was quickly heading south. Jajuka, however, wore the simple tunic of his earlier days with leggings underneath. When I asked him why he didn't change into his new uniform, he told me it was because he had been assigned to guard me, and that he didn't want to get it stained while he worked beside me in the gardens. I hugged him fiercely, ran over and squeezed Dilandau, and then went to tell Allen- whom I had correctly assumed had not heard of these arrangements. He told me that Jajuka was welcome, but not at the cost of keeping Zaibach safe. If he was needed, he would have to return to the capital. But I didn't care- Jajuka would be there with me, so I wouldn't be totally alone!! I would have to forgo escargot, but, as Dilandau would say, I could deal.

  
  


Dilandau looked over his shoulder for a moment, surveying the "New and Improved" Vione Vione, Mark 2, called Vione again because it was easier than coming up with a new name. It had been landed in one of the fields behind the mansion, refueling while the supplies were replenished and what little luggage the passengers had was loaded. The luggage was mostly comprised of gifts Celena had given the Slayers that morning along with their new clothes. She hadn't given him anything- she said she wanted to save it until they were ready to go. So, he turned his attention back to the new airship, mood dark. He scowled when he saw that the new 'Vione'- dubbed thus by Celena, of course- and he noticed that what it looked like was a cross between the Crusade and an old Zaibach land-cruiser. It was a smaller, less intimidating airship than the older version, and had not been completely finished. The soldiers onboard had saluted and apologized to 'Emperor Folken', saying they had not had time to complete such an immense transport in such little time, and they had not had the resources to ask the Ispano for aid. Folken merely said it was alright, then went to inspect the ship with his brother, his new sister-in-law-to-be, Allen, Gaddess, and a handful of slayers. Dilandau was left outside to bark orders at those who remained outside, and to oversee the loading of the supplies. Boring. So, there he was, things were all set and ready to go- except for the stupid fuel. They were all waiting for the damn thing to finish filling up so they could get on their way, and everyone was edgy. Folken because he didn't know how he'd be received by his new kingdom, the Slayers because they were going back to the country that had been the reason they'd died, the crew because they had 17 people on board who had been supposedly dead for two years. Dilandau? He was edgy because he was in a bad mood. He was in a bad mood because he wasn't sure he wanted to return to Zaibach. Zaibach was his place of birth and home, but Celena was here, in Asturia, with no one except her brother and the Slayer he'd assigned to watch her again, Jajuka. He wasn't sure if he felt willing to leave her here like this, alone and helpless, able to fall prey to any sorcerer who was in the vicinity. But he had a duty to do, and that was to make sure that Folken didn't screw things up in Zaibach while protecting the country. No small feat, but he'd have no difficulty. He *was* Dilandau, after all. 

And then- it was time to say goodbye. Celena walked up with Allen, Van and Hitomi, her eyes watery and her lips trying to smile. He straightened himself to look more confident, but he knew that she could see right through the facade. For one of the few times in his life, he was worried about what the future might hold. Celena held her wavery smile, her eyes glassy, and he knew that she was thinking along the same lines as him. He drew himself up further, then said in a cocky voice,

"Well, we've got to head out. Folken needs to fix everything that Dornkirk destroyed and counselors ruined. There's a lot of work to be done ahead of us." There was silence, and he waited a moment, then turned to leave, only to be almost knocked off his feet by Celena running up and hugging him. The others in the group began talking, giving the two what time they needed to say their goodbyes. Dilandau drew in his breath, and closed his eyes, putting his hands on hers. She nestled her face into his shoulder, squeezing him tighter.

"I'm going to miss you so much!! I feel... empty without you." He release her hands, then turned to face her. Not caring what onlookers thought- mostly Allen, who kept giving them looks from a few feet away- he pulled her towards him and hugged her fiercely, as though holding on for dear life. He took in the scent of her hair for the last time, and felt her heat as she tried smothering him into her embrace. He absently played with her hair, looking across at her, since they were basically the same height.

"You won't come back with me...?" She shook her head, but a small smile was beginning to return.

"No. My place is here, for now. Allen needs someone to keep him in check." The knight looked over at the sound of his name, but then went back to talking with Folken on matters of the country. Dilandau broke off the embrace, and held her a few feet away. A smirk was on his face as he looked her over.

"Take care of yourself, alright? I don't want to hear you've been doing something not befitting the station of an Asturian Noblewoman." She laughed, rubbing at her eyes and then moving his bangs out of his eyes.

"Of course I'll be fine! I'm not the one who goes around risking my neck. *I* have some sense!" They laughed for a moment, then there was silence again. Celena was the first to break it, voice soft again. "You'll... you'll visit... won't you?" He shrugged, face still again.

"It depends. Maybe if Folken gives me time off, and maybe if I'm allowed into Asturia without having to have an armed escort parading around with me." She smirked, folding her arms.

"That never stopped you before." The both relaxed a bit more, then all turned when Dalet walked up, saluting and standing tall.

"Emperor Folken! Lord Dilandau!! The ship is ready, Sir! Awaiting orders to launch!" Folken nodded, then turned to the group again. 

"This is where we leave you. We are forever in your debt for your kindness and hospitality, Sir Allen, Lady Celena. If , at any point, you need anything, I will do all in my power to help you. Please visit us when things have begun to settle down; we'll have a feast in your honor." He shook hands with Allen, kissed Celena's hand, and said a few last words of goodbye to Hitomi and Van before walking over to the loading ramp and disappearing into the ship. Dilandau smirked, and he took Celena's hand as well, kissing it just as Folken had. She laughed and batted him away, then held up a hand.

"Before I forget..." She pulled out a package from behind her back and handed it to him. "Open it up!! I wanna see your reaction!" He did so, and opened the box to find a golden diadem resting on a pillow. He looked up at her, and she grinned. "It's on a red cushion and everything- just like the last one. Except this one doesn't have the stone in it- I hope that's ok. Here, lemme put it on you!!" She grabbed it from him, put it on his head, then arranged his hair over it until she was satisfied. "There!! You look great!" He smirked, and then reached behind him.

"I have something for you too, Celena. Not a grandiose, but..." He handed her a small box, which she opened to find two small articles nestled in the box. She looked up at him, mouth open in surprise.

"Your dogtags? But... But they were lost..."

"I didn't tell you? Rusent had a spare pair on him, and they 'happened' to be mine. I don't need them, but I thought it might be something you'd want, seeing as you have to wear those stuffy collared dresses. It'll make a certain focal point, if you know what I mean." She blushed, then looked at the other item, taking it out and opening it.

"Is this what I think it is....?" He nodded, and she jumped him again, hanging from his neck. "Thank you, Dilandau!! Now we'll be able to keep in touch all the time!! Thank you!!" She was about to knock him over when a throat cleared, and a soft cough interrupted them. Dalet stood where he had been the whole time, and Allen was there, glaring at Dilandau with a look that could spoil milk. Van, Hitomi and Merle stood a few feet behind him, watching the display with slight smiles. Jajuka stood to the side, watching everyone with a blank expression. Dilandau shook Celena off and then walked over to Allen, looking up at the tall knight with a scowl.

"If I hear that you've been bothering Celena about anything, I'll personally see to it that you regret it. Take care of her, or you'll have to deal with me." Allen nodded, then pulled his little sister to his side. Jajuka saluted.

"Lord Dilandau!" Dilandau saluted back.

"Take care of her, Jajuka, though I know you will." The dogman beamed, and put his hand on Celena's shoulder. Dilandau then looked at Van. 

Van looked at Dilandau.

Dilandau nodded, and Van did the same. There was silence, then Dilandau held out his hand.

"I'll forgive you your past, if you pardon mine." Van looked at the outstretched hand, then took it, shaking it firmly. Hitomi smiled, and said to Dilandau, 

"Take care, General." He took her hand and kissed it, murmuring thanks for all her help. Van stiffened a little at that, but he didn't move. Merle gulped, then waved weakly.

"Bye, Dilandau..." He looked down and smirked, then turned to go. 

"I'll make sure Guimel writes to you." She flushed deeply, but didn't respond. Celena hugged Dalet before Dilandau barked at him to hurry up. As the two walked up the ramp, Celena shouted and waved.

"GOODBYE DILLY!!!!!!!!!!!" He froze, then turned around, arms crossed. Then he smirked, waved, and went inside. The door closed, and the ship began to rise. Celena ran towards the ship, waving goodbye and jumping up and down. Van visibly let out a sigh, looking tired and perplexed.

"I think he's cracked... again." Allen shook his head no, still watching the ship.

"He's changed because of Celena. They've both changed, for better or worse, but I think it's for the better- at least in his case. I'll have to watch Celena..." They all stood, watching and waving until the airship was little more than a speck in the sky. Celena then turned to Allen, and waved smiling. Allen waved back, smiling as well. "Yes, I'm going to have to watch her....."

  
  


Celena was tired, emotionally and physically, but that didn't stop her excitement from keeping her asleep. Allen and Jajuka had gone to bed earlier, and now the house was quiet, save for Natal's soft hooting every so often. She peeked out the door, just to make sure that there was no one about, then closed it softly, pulling out the gift Dilandau had given her. To anyone who didn't know what it was, it would look like a small, portable mirror, a bit heavier than most, but nothing out of the ordinary. To those who knew of Zaibach's greatest accomplishments, they would know it was a small, handheld communications device developed in the last days of the Empire's existence. Had the rule of Dornkirk continued, these would have been widespread throughout the continent. But, he'd died and the work had been forgotten- save to those who still had interest in it. Dilandau had somehow managed to find one- outside of Zaibach, no less, and had given it to her to keep in touch. She found he power button, pressed it, and waited for the screen to flicker on. It did so, and Dilandau sat in a chair, in the midst of his favourite past-time: drinking vino. She shook her head, laughing. 

"Will I ever get to see you when you're not drunk?"

"I'm not drunk, I'm happy. Took you long enough, I've been waiting for some time. Had to occupy myself *somehow*..." He sipped his glass, and she smiled.

"How's the trip?"

"Not bad, we're almost halfway there. We're over the badlands of Freid right now, and we're expected to pull into the capital around noon tomorrow. I'll give you a full account in a letter, don't worry. You should get some sleep, it must be four in the morning over there."

"Allen wanted to talk with me all night about responsibilities and things like that. It wasn't fun." Dilandau set the glass down, looking at her.

"Want me to send Migel and Gatty after him?" She shook her head, waving him back t his drink.

"No. I've decided that if he bothers me too much, I'm going to burn the house down and run away to Zaibach. Although, Millerna's been saying something about taking me under her wing and finding something for me to do. I might be going to the sea instead of the 'barren wasteland', as Allen calls Zaibach. I don't know, I'll just have to see." Dilandau smirked.

"I think that's a bit of me left in you! Allen must be thrilled." She put her hand on the glass, and he did likewise.

"I'm you, you're me. Nothing Allen can say or do will change that, Dilandau. ....I've got to go, Dilandau. I think Jajuka's awake, and he knows what this is. ...Take care." He smiled, and responded,

"Goodnight, Little Bird." She stuck out her tongue, then the screen went black. She put the handheld away, then crawled into bed, staring at her candle. The future was going to be different and strange from now on, but she knew that no matter what, she'd always have someone to listen, someone who'd be there. Miles away from her and yet right there through the glass, her friend and her 'fire', Dilandau.

  
  
  
  


~Fin~

  
  
  
  
  
  


Well, wasn't that fun??? Through the Glass, everyone! It's done!! ....Excuse me a moment *goes off to blow her nose* Sigh... Now, we've got Reflections of the Heart to look forward to!! Yay! Except it has to be rewritten now 'cause of the Magliss... Why'd I have to put them in, anyways??

Celena: That's what you get for typing this at 4 in the morning, SLS!!

Dilandau: Enough of this stupid talk! Get on with the questions already!

SLS: Righto! Now, you all gave me a couple of questions, and hopefully I'll be able to answer them for you- if not here, than in RotH. Let's get started, shall we?

  
  


Q1: What's with the stupid ending sentence?

A- ....Ok, so I stink at endings. You have a better conclusion? Lemme have it and I'll post'em up, nk?

  
  


Q2: Why the hell did you have to make it a sad ending?

A- This one isn't sad! RotH will be IF you choose it to be.... I'll have a warning, don't worry!! ^_^

  
  


Q3:And is it really true that the Slayers are back? 

A- Yup ^_^

  
  


Q4:So now that you've brought them back, what do plan to do with them, eh?

A- *singing* A sorcerer-hunting they will goooooooo!!

  
  


Q5:Awww what is the punishment anyway... ??

A- ....My secret.

Celena- She doesn't know yet!! ^_^

SLS- Quiet, you!!

Dilandau- You'll find out when I do...

  
  
  
  


Q6:What's going on with the Dilandau/Celena aspect of the story?  


A- Dilandau is returning to Zaibach to kill sorcerers for a living, Celena stays in Asturia to darn Allen's socks. Romance-wise, Dilly doesn't want to admit he has a heart, Celena doesn't know what her feelings towards Dilandau are, or if she *really* liked Folken more...

Celena- "cause he's so hot!!!

Dilandau- *grumbles, visions of Folken's head on a pike go through his mind*

  
  


Q7:Where does Folken get off sticking his nose in their relationship?

A- Celena has always had a crush on Folken, since the first time she "saw" him in her mirror. There are several things that point to her having a crush on him, if you just go back and read carefully. Folken, in his own right, thinks she's one of the only intelligent noblewomen he's come across, and she has the bonus of being pretty too. If you were in his situation, don't you think you'd fall for her too? I mean, half the Slayers unit likes her, *plus* she helped bring them all back to life... I think he has every right to fall in love w/ her!!

Celena- what she means is that this was originally supposed to be a FolkenXCelena fic, but now it'll go either way. I can't decide!! They're just both so.... CUTE!!!

Dilandau *begins to burn things w/ name of Folken being mentioned, and flinches at being called cute*

  
  


Q8: How can you separate the two of them, eh?

A- It's pretty easy... See, I sent Dilly back to Zaibach, and then kept Celena in Asturia.... Hence, they're not together anymore!!

Celena- I don't think that's what she meant....

SLS- Alright, alright... It gives me a springboard for RotH, plus, it makes some tension between Dilly/Celena, Folken/Celena, Dilly/Celena. They can think of their relationships from over the miles, then try to confront them when they next meet. I'd have them all happily married, except then I'd have nothing to do a sequel with....

Dilandau- YOU'RE WRITING A YAOI!??!?!? ME AND FOLKEN???? *passes out*

Celena- *giggles* I think you scared him there...

  
  


Q9:How long till the sequel?  


A- Hopefully a week, maybe two. I'm working on it! It was done, but then I added the Magliss, and a whole new issue has come up w/ them.... I'm adding another love interest for Celena!!

Celena- Another cute guy trying to win my heart!!! *hearts and sparklies float around her head*

Dilandau- *eye begins to twitch and he takes out his katana to sharpen it*

  
  
  
  


Q10:Hmm.... the scene where Dilandau fights against the sorcerer, what's-his-face? The R-dude, I do kinda wish it would've been a little bit more described, since that was like a big showdown, him kicking the ass of big evil guy of the story.... some highlight, getting rid of him. 

A: ... Again, my secret.

Dilandau-*snaps out of trance* She can't write action. Just soppy romance. What REALLY happened was this:

I threw Rusent off his horse, we rolled for a while- that jerk SCRATCHED me, TWICE!!! I kicked him, he started throwing magic around, we fought, yadda yadda yadda.... He used some weird powers to pick me up and throw me all over the place for a bit, but that sucked up a lot of his strength so he fell after throwing me up into a tree. I fell out, pretended I couldn't move, and he came to stand over top of me all victorious and everything, saying how I'd never be able to stop him, so on and so forth. Then he started yaking about his precious Magliss and how he helped awaken their powers with the help of some chick, and how after he drank her blood he was going to be immortal and that's how he got all her powers. He kept going on and on, just standing there, but then he bent down to give me the final death-blow with his finger and well..... 

Celena- Well what???

Dilandau- ... I bit him....

Celena- ...Oh. Well, that's not out of character for you ^_^

Dilandau- Except that I made him bleed. Ugh! I might be a psycho, but I'm not a vampire!! Anyways, I threw him off balance, whipped out my sword and sliced his head off. It rolled away while I burned the rest of it ^_^ *begins to light matches again*

  
  


Celena and SLS- *crickets chirp* ..... Yeah... well, there you are. Dilandau drank the sorcerer's blood and then burned the evidence...

Dilandau- Except for the head! 

SLS- Right, except for the head..... Mmmhmmm...... Anyone out there want to write that scene a bit more.... graphically? Dilly's version was..... interesting, though it lacked... pizazz... Right, next question!

  
  


Q11: The name Sorcererslayers sounds kinda, well, bit long to say ^^;;

Dilandau- I agree. It's stupid, and I'm in the middle of taking it up with Folken now. We'll have more later.

  
  


Q12: ...And I'm kinda itching to see more Celena/Dilandau moments.... please?

A- Hehehe.....

Celena- I don't like that laugh....

Dilandau- You haven't read the drafts, have you Cele?

  
  


Q13:It's over so soon?! There must be sequels! Lots of sequels!

A- Ummm.... 'Through the Glass' is, yes. Then there's 'Reflections of the Heart'. There will be two endings for that- a happy and a sad one. You can take your pick of events, nk? Because of the two different endings... well, I can't make a third part!! It would clash with the other's end, and then it would get all confusing. Now, if someone wanted to write a sequel to my sequel, well..... I could go for that ^_^ 

  
  


Q14: How was Otakon? I didn't see you there/ didn't go!

A: Ok.... I know no one *asked* me that, but.... I had a lot of fun, except for a couple of points... The LARP person was really rude to me, and I missed the costume contest because I was waiting for my LARP tag- which I never got... @..@ Plus, I made a COMPLETE fool of myself in kareoke. If anyone heard/saw me sing/stumble/make a fool of myself and botch the song, PLEASE FORGIVE ME!! I was gonna sing Sora's song, but they didn't have it... So I did Yubiwa, which I was going to sing in English until I realized that I only had the Japanese lyrics in front of me... . Talk about embarrassing!! But I spent lots of money afterwards and felt better after talking to someone dressed as Dilandau ^_^ Plus, a really cool Dilandau stopped me in the hall and got my picture ^_^ As soon as I find a pic of my costume, I'll put a link down, nk? Until then... You can pretend I looked exactly like Sora ^_^ OH! And they had the Esca movie playing- I watched that for a while, and I was proud to say that I knew everything they were saying without having to watch the subtitles because I've watched it so many times. Sad, ne? Ah well.... Anyways, suffice to say, I had fun!

  
  


Closing comments:

Alright, I'm sure you've all skipped most of the above and will skip this too... but oh well! All I want to say is that I hoped you enjoyed the story, I had a lot of fun writing it and then reading your responses. Please let me have lots of input, I enjoy getting email, make your friends read it and make them give me criticism- it'll make my stories better, promise! Thank you for putting up with my lengthy Author's notes, side notes, bad spellings, typos and everything, hope they didn't bother anyone too much. And, of course, thank you for reading!! I appreciate all the support you've all given me, and I hope that you'll keep writing to me, and keep sending in the reviews! Can we make it to 100? That's 20 more reviews!! Hopefully, RotH will do at least that, and I'll try to get it out asap. But, in the meantime, here's a little something to whet your appetites... Enjoy, and thank you!! 

  
  


SneakPreview aka RotH in less than a minute NOTE: Quotes not necessarily in order of appearance!

  
  


"Allen, stop flirting with the Princess!! We're at war here!!"

"Celena's run away.... again."

"Lady Celena, what a pleasure to see you!!"

"....Hi...."

"It's a boy!!!"

"My Lady Celena, your brother has given me your hand in marriage. Have you nothing to say?"

*SMACK*

"I am here to keep the peace of our two countries- the sorcerers do not wish for blood to be shed."

"Celena, this might be the last time I'll be able to tell you...."

"Celena, meet your new sister-in-law!!"

"Celena.... I love you."

"I am drawn to you- though you may be human, and I a Magliss, I find you alluring and enchanting. Would you hit me if I said I love you?"

"Lady Celena, we can't find them... They've all disappeared!"

"So, you're the one who's started this war... Do you revel in the blood spent for your rule?"

"Please... Let me go...."

"The Castle is under attack!!"

"No!!! I won't let you hurt him!!"

"I need you, here by my side. Please... consider my offer."

"How do you kill that which is already dead?"

"Folken!!"

"Lady Celena!!"

"Dilandau!!"

"DIE!"

"Celena.... Goodbye....."

"No.... No, Chesta, Dalet, Guimel.... they can't be dead!! They're with him!! Don't lie to me!!"

"Celena... Will you marry me?"

"BURN!!!"

"I'm here to receive the powers of the Gods. Tell me how, mystic!"

"Will you forsake the one you love? Keep heart!"

"I will do what I must to keep Gaia at peace! This is my vow, my oath, my pact!"

"I am here then... to end your suffering..."

"Thank you... I can rest at last.... My people await for my return. The Magliss are in your debt, Knight of the Dragon Blood."

*Kissy Kissy ^_^* - more kissing scenes for the fans. I've added at least five ^_^

"*SHE* married Emperor Folken??"

"Lady Celena... forgive ...me...*dies*"

"Cookie?"

"Please... don't leave me alone!"

"You're not alone..."

"Not if we're togther, right?"

"Right."

  
  


~Fin~

  
  


Well.... That made sense to ME at least... Hope ya'll are completely and utterly intrigued.- or baffled. Baffled works too. Have a guess on what's going to happen? Email me! SirLadySketch@hotmail.com Don't forget, the quotes aren't all in order!! And now, everyone, I bid you farewell. Until next time, this is Sir Lady Sketch, signing out! August 1, 2002


End file.
